Shin Seiki: Joutei no Yokai Hoshi
by GamerJay
Summary: NGE/Aliens/Predator crossover. After being abandoned so young he was spirited away from Earth by the one he will come to call his Mother. Now, years later Shinji Curved Blade returns to complete his final test and become a true Blooded Hunter. But with the help of those he connects with he rediscovers humanity...and becomes it's champion. Shinji/Misato. SEQUEL IS UP!
1. Prologue: That Glorious Day

**Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion, Alien, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator. They are property of Gainax and 20****th**** Century Fox, respectively.**

_A/N: I'm back. Anyone miss me?_

_I'm really sorry this isn't EVA-Life 2. I've been meaning to try and start work on that, but I honestly can't find any way to continue it, seeing as how much the Half-Life universe has progressed._

_To be honest I don't think I was trying too hard when writing EVA-Life. I didn't really draw much from the EVA universe, only the Half-Life side of things, but then again I was inexperienced when it came to writing back in 2005._

_In this fic, which is my take on the manga, I will try my utmost hardest to include every element from both EVA and Aliens vs. Predator. I hope the title of this fic, it's kanji and it's translation are correct._

_So enjoy reading what I call a 'Seinen Science-Fiction Horror Noir Fan Fic.'_

(SSJNYH)

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.

**- Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) German-Swiss philosopher and writer.**

(SSJNYH)

**Neon Genesis: Lord of Star Demons**

新世紀エヴァンゲリオン: 主悪霊スター

**(Shin Seiki****: Joutei no Yokai Hoshi)**

(SSJNYH)

Prologue – That Glorious Day

Death, destruction, oblivion and much more surrounded him as the wounded, black-haired, middle-aged Japanese man carried his wounded daughter in his arms, the snow pricking his bloodied face. His heart pounded against his chest and he felt himself weaker by the second as he lost more and more blood which ran down from the gash down the length of his back, inflicted by a piece of flying metal.

**Oomans, driven by your ambitions coupled with your ignorance, you have driven yourselves to oblivion; where it awaits you with arms wide open, ready to ensnare you into it's inviting, warm embrace.**

He could not have foreseen things would have turned out like this, that when the Giant of Light stood erect and revealed itself all before them it would trigger something close to Armageddon. He and his daughter would be right there in the middle of it – Ground Zero to be precise. Every one else that hadn't departed yesterday back to Japan was now dead, leaving only him and the teenage girl he carried alive.

**We have been amongst you for centuries. You have provided us with much amusement as we hunt the most worthy of your kind, while at the same time observing how far you have progressed as a species. Knowledge, technology, and your tendency to search out the unknown; and look where it has led you.**

And he did not know that right now that he was being watched, that a translucent humanoid figure that could easily have been spotted by the snow that stuck to his form leapt from one part of the ruined research structures to the other. It was as if it was trying to find as many angles as possible to observe the man and his daughter fleeing the destruction. The ghost-like entity squatted on a raised beam as it watched the man approached the water where a Mark 1 Protective System Capsule drifted in the water, where it was built to only house one.

**Now, a new chapter in your tragicomic existence has a begun. And what lies in your arms will be among the few to write it. There will be others. We will find them. And in the end past all the blood, carnage and technology they will save you from yourselves and your greatest ambition…**

**That greatest ambition: To wipe yourselves out completely.**

(SSJNYH)

Death.

**Wha…what's happening? Was that…an explosion?**

Destruction.

**My chest…hurts. I think I'm bleeding…**

Oblivion.

Dad? Dad? Where are you?

Those and much more were all around her as she felt herself being carried through one of research base's warehouses towards the edge of the ice, much of the structure already torn away. Dropping in and out of consciousness rapidly, she couldn't see who it was that was carrying her until they stopped moving and was before the water and the Mark 1 Protective System Capsule that laid in the water.

"Misato…you must survive. Look after mom for me."

What?

Those were the last words the wounded, long purple-haired teenage girl of fourteen years heard from her father as he lowered her into the capsule amidst the snow, ice, bright shining lights and ruins around them. Her blood was in her eyes and pain stretched from one end of her chest diagonally to her right hip she gazed up at her father's face, which was obscured from view so that she could only make out his outline. That soon disappeared as the capsule closed itself and sealing her, the only occupant, inside. She felt herself being cast adrift to the sea before she passed out.

Dad.

When she came to minutes later she was terrified when claustrophobic darkness was there to greet her. Panicking, she stretched her hands forward and touched the capsule's solid entrance hatch. A faint beeping was heard and the hatch opened, revealing the night sky streaked with holy light.

Shakily with her arm covering the gash she stood up on the capsule, the Antarctic breeze hitting her full force despite her wearing warm clothing. Her widened in shock and disbelief at what she saw half-a-mile away.

The Explosion. Consuming all of Antarctica and everything on it.

Dad!

She felt her eyes water when she realized her father, the man she thought she hated, had given his life for hers. Unable to stand any more from the pain and grief she now felt she collapsed back into the capsule and passed out.

She passed out and did not notice the translucent object flying across the night sky, slowly as if observing the massive of ball of light the avoiding the waves of light escalating from it. The object headed downward towards the sea, landing on the water right beside the capsule; the water splashing onto it and messing with the cloaking field surrounding the object, revealing it for no one left alive or conscious to see.

It was crude, ornate looking craft, obviously used for transportation, which was not of humanity's designs, despite it's advancements in technology in the past few years. It looked inhuman in nature, alien rather. What appeared to be a doorway opened right to one of the large engine nozzles, fog-like atmosphere seeping out onto the ocean's saves beneath the craft, which splashed upward and onto a ten-foot tall figure obscured by the fog.

It was facing the protective capsule, and it appeared to express an interest in it, evident when where it's eyes should be glowed yellow, producing an electrical whoosh like sound. And in a dark, sinister voice it said, or rather growled…

"Per…fect…"

(SSJNYH)

Misato felt herself lying on a hard, smooth surface as she opened her eyes, an orange light shining down onto her eyes and causing her to wince uncomfortably. However as she moved her hand to shield her eyes she realized that her left arms was fastened to the side with a metallic cuff, along with her right arm. Her legs were also cuffed and fastened down as well. She felt herself panicking when she realized that she was stripped of her jacket, undershirt and pants, leaving her only in her underwear, and the wound that she had received had somehow healed, leaving behind a nasty looking scar.

She tried to open her mouth…

I…I can't speak…I…I want to cry out, but I can't…

…but nothing came out.

**My…my…I can't say a thing. I'm…I'm scared…I'm so scared.**

Panicked, she begun breathing in and out roughly, eyes darting left and right as she tried to figure out where she was and what was going to happen to her. The light shining down on her was turned off, bringing her vision back to know.

**Oh God…what is happening?**

She found about four towering looking humanoids standing above her, each one sporting braided dreadlocks and each with a mask covering their faces. Where from shock or just exhaustion she passed out before she could make out any more details of her captors.

**Dad…why?**

Mercifully she passed out again, her head resting against the edge of the marble-like table, hoping that everything that she had just been through was a dream. But when she would wake up she would find herself in even more dire straits and unfortunate circumstances. Her captives would make sure of her survival once this cataclysm passes, for they had everything planned and now they would see how far she would go.

However for now they just watched her unconscious form lie there, wondering what thoughts were going through her head at this time.

**Dad…why?**

* * *

So what do you think?

This is my (hopefully original) take on the 'Shinji-Gets-Blasted-To-Another-World' genre, popularized by _**Gunman**_ and his fics (good on you, Gunman). Only in this case things won't actually get better for Shinji…

So anyway, what do you think of my first NGE fic in five years? I'll post the next chapter soon, but until then...your comments and feedback is appreciated.


	2. Chapter 1: Huntress

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

* * *

Chapter 1 – Huntress

* * *

"…you hear about his father?"

**Stop it.**

"…some kind of mad scientist…"

**What do you know?**

"…mother killed in one of his experiments."

**You don't know anything.**

"…he abandoned him…"

**Shut up!**

"Poor little thing."

The 'poor' little six-year-old black haired, brown-eyed boy ignored the stares, whispers and murmuring as he went on his way down the dirt road back to his home, uncaring about the sympathies the neighboring community was showing him. They genuinely felt sorry for Shinji Ikari, but he took it as an insult.

Not to him. To his father…the centre of his universe and the centre of his pain. He felt angry…

**Every day when I walk home from school I pass by those same people. Why do they keep calling me 'poor' and 'little'? Why do they keep trying to make me feel sad? I don't understand.**

He continued on his way, hands gripping the straps of his backpack, his face an bitter, emotionless mask as he ignored everything around him as he kept to himself, not to mention keeping himself bottled up inside. Another few minutes later he walked through the front gates to his uncle's house and towards the front door.

**Everyday the same thing happens. I hate it, I hate it so much.**

**Maybe I should find another way to school. That way I won't have to hear what they're saying, and they won't try to make me feel sad any more. Yeah, I'll do that.**

Fishing for the key in his left pocket he pulled it out and pushed it into the lock. He unlocked the door as he turned the door which allowed him entrance.

All the while he had no idea that he was being watched. Something watched from the trees, peering at him silently with much intent, no doubt malicious in nature. If anyone could see it they no doubt would think that it's because of the heat, that they are hallucinating; or if they have seen a ghost…

…

…  
…

The next thing Shinji realised he was huddling in a dark, tight space. Shivering, he was holding his knees to himself and covered head to toe in something wet and sticky. He realised he was shivering with fright, evident by a cold sweat running down the side of his face and mixing with the substance he was covered in.

**What? What's happened? Where am I?**

Light shown onto him through a tall slit and he realised he was hiding in a closet. Shakily stretching his hands he slid open the door and crawled out into his trashed room, which his bedsheets strewn, along with much of his clothing and personal belongings. The full moon shone through the open window, bathing the room in it's ethereal light. Shinji looked down at the substance covering his right hand and was shocked to find that it was…

**Blood?**

Terrified, he stood up on his two feet and looked around, the blood flying off his body and staining the carpet and walls. He ran his hands over his arms, checking for any injuries. He had never been covered in this amount of blood, even thought it wasn't his. That he realised soon enough.

**What's going on? Why am I in my room? Wasn't I just outside the front door?**

He looked to his bedroom door to find that it had been broken into outward, as if something had smashed through and trashed his bedroom, scattering his clothes and personal belongings as if searching for something. He looked down at himself and the blood on his shirt, feeling more terrified by each panicky heartbeat.

**And whose blood is this?**

He opened the smashed door of his room and into the hallway, seeing massive scratch and slash marks running up and down it. Slowly and cautiously whilst clasping his hands together, he gathered what little courage he had and walked down the hall towards the living area of the house. When he pulled back the sliding door revealing the barely illuminated living room he quickly looked away and covered his mouth, tears welling instantly in his eyes as he tried to keep his food in his stomach.

It was his uncle and his aunty. He only recognised them because of the shreds of clothing they wore and what was left of their hair, as their face and much of their heads were cracked open and splattered, while their limbs and innards were splattered all over the furniture and the living room. Shinji turned around and stepped into the room, the soles of his shoes now bloodied.

"Aunty? Uncle?"

He wadded across their blood as he approached their bodies; his mind shattered to the point where their appearance didn't bother him so much. He suddenly froze when he felt something moist drip onto him from the ceiling. He looked straight ahead, petrified, when he heard what sounded like growling come from above him.

He was still standing there when a creature ripped from a nightmare slowly climbed across the ceiling above him.

**I…I can't move…I want to run, but I can't…**

It's whip like tail dangled before him as the creature dropped down from the ceiling before him. Shinji's tiny face cringed fearfully as tears ran down his cheeks and his knees shook, unable to move. He felt his teeth beginning to ache as he stood before the twisted creature that could only come from the most perverted of nightmares.

Underneath that blood that covered it's whole form, the creature was a jet black colour, slender, skeletal, serpentine, almost biomechancial in appearance. The length of it's head was cylindrical and elongated diagonally, ending with sharp, exposed teeth set in a permanent snarl. It's tail was segmented, blade-tipped, the end resembling a slashing weapon like a small blade. It's long arms with hand had four digits, with two long middle fingers and a pair of thumbs.

The creature stood erect before Shinji, snarling and opening it's mouth to reveal it's phallic-like tongue that had it's own tiny set of jaws. Mouth wavering in fear he tried to take a step back away from the creature, but ended up slipping on the blood and landing on his behind.

"AHHHHHHH!"

He outwardly showed his fear by screaming, causing the creature to rush towards him and stretch it's hands forward, intending to grasp him by his face. Shinji made no further effort to get away, feeling the creature's long, sharp finger on his face. He was silent was again as he begun to imagine what's going to happen next. His eyes focused on the bodies of his aunt and uncle that lay behind the creature.

He then stared looked, fearfully at the creature as it opened it's mouth and it's 'tongue' opened it's own little mouth, which was poised to strike him between the eyes. Shinji kept his eyes open, too petrified to even blink.

The creature stopped what it was doing, as if it had a change a heart about killing him. It closed it's mouth…then what sounded like a wild animal give a throaty growl, and it sounded like it echoed around the house. It reared it head upward from Shinji, letting go of his face. The boy yelped as one the creature's long bony finger grazed his left cheek and left him a small, yet deep cut. Shinji gritted his teeth and reached for the wound.

"Owwww," he moaned.

The creature then turned back to him and growled, and lunged towards him. However it wasn't going for it him, it was going for the figure that now stood behind the sliding door leading outside. It practically flew past Shinji, the wind it generated causing Shinji to spin around and fall back down.

"AH!"

The edge of the creature's barbed tail nicked Shinji's right cheek, giving him an almost identical wound similar to the one on his right cheek. He then watched as the creature tore through the paper-like door and ran out onto the front yard. He then felt nauseous and clutched his chest as he fell face forward onto the ground, immediately tasting his relatives' blood, which now begun to mix with his tears.

(SSJNYH)

The creature growled as it's darted left and right, trying to locate the source of the growl, choosing for now to ignore the human infant that had intrigued it, which it wasn't planning on killing right away. The creature snarled, when suddenly the sounds of animalistic clicked drew it's attention towards the tree located on the lawn and what was hiding amongst the branches.

It's vision was able to see past it's opponent cloaking device, but it was too late to evade a suddenly blast of plasma. It felt both it's legs and most of it's left side vaporise, leaving what was left of it writing on the grown, it's acidic blood dissolving the grass underneath. The cloaked figure leapt off the branch and landed on the ground, the grass flattened underneath it's feet revealing it's presence.

The figure walked towards the mortally wounded creature, it's eye ports briefly flashing yellow. It was now extending it's arm towards the invisible being, which now turned it's cloaking device off by pushing a few buttons on the wrist device built into it's left hand.

The cloaked figure materialised beneath the moon's ethereal rays. It was humanoid in appearance, but it was could not be human. It's skin tone was brownish-pale speckled with black spots was not the first thing to give it it's inhuman status. It was exactly eight feet tall, large square chest, muscular arms, legs, stomach, hips, and large biceps. Judging from the large glands protruding forward from it's chest there was no doubt that it was female.

Her head was large and oval shaped, extending upwards and back, the top is flat almost with boney edges that was speckled with small or else large black birth marks of various shapes with small and soft spikes growing along the edges. Her hair was a mess of golden-braided dreadlocks and a steel mask obscured her face. An _ornate_ steel mask to be precise, and that had some kind of marking scratched into the left side.

The marking resembled a diagonally positioned F crossed with a T.

In terms of clothing she was completely wrapped in a fishnet mesh which constricted around her large frame. She wore a brown coloured steel-lined leather bikini with loincloth, complimented by armour adorning her shoulders, elbows, upper-chest just above her breasts, her waist line, her hips and the groin area.

The technology and weaponry she was outfitted was completely out of this world. A small cannon was attached to the armour on her right shoulder, presumably it's power source was strapped to her back. Mechanical devices were attached to both her left and right wrists. A small telescopic device was sheathed on the right side of her pack and as she stepped towards the fallen creature she reached towards it.

Pressing a button it extended into a spear. And as the creature for her in its' death throws she put the point of her weapon through it's head, taking care to avoid any acidic blood that splattered forward as she brained it.

To describe such a humanoid in one word, it would be: Huntress.

Shinji thought she resembled an Amazonian warrior from his school textbooks on ancient Greece as he stumbled out of the house through the shredded front door. His face was covered in blood, his cheeks were bleeding and he was feeling wonky on his feet.

The Huntress turned her head to face him as she distended her spear and sheathed it on her back. Through her mask she saw him…or at least his heat signature. Judging from that the youngling was especially warm in it's face and chest, which she guessed was because of it's supposed parents' blood all over him. She thought she noticed movement come from behind him and so switched the vision mode of her mask to one where everything was a green/lime green colour.

She then saw them slowly approaching from behind the youngling. Two more of the hard meat approached him.

(SSJNYH)

Shinji noticed how the Huntress froze and suddenly pointed it's shoulder cannon in his direction. He spun around and saw two more of those nightmare creatures walking on all fours towards him, also covered in his relatives' blood. Pushing aside his feelings of nausea he become to run out of the house, still feeling a bit stiff in his legs.

**Who's that…?**

(SSJNYH)

The Huntress watched him run towards her…

Poisoned, but it can still move. This ooman pup _is_ strong…

…before tripping over and falling at her feet. She looked down at him briefly, before looking back up at her prey and reaching for something also stored on her back next to her back. This next device was resembled a two sided polygon (digon) with a point, and appeared to be a throwing weapon. The Huntress saw that the creature were poised to leap at he and the youngling, and so with a mighty sideward throw she hurled the device toward them.

It embedded itself within the chest of one of the creature and it squealed, acidic blood immediately spurting from it. The Huntress then turned to her left-wrist computer and pushed one of the buttons. The device beeped, and it exploded in a ball of blue fire. The explosion blew away both of the creatures and some parts of the house, setting the rest of it on fire.

Pieces of the house flew towards the Huntress, but she swatted the flimsy material away from her with her muscled left arm. She stepped over the fallen Shinji who appeared to have blacked out again, and stepped towards the burning house.

**C'jit! Those Kainde Amedha have been eradicated, but I did not count on this happening. Soon I will be hearing those sirens and more of the oomans will arrive.**  
**I have finished what I have come here for. Time for me to lea…**

Another growl was heard and was suddenly knocked down onto her stomach, feeling the skin on her back get slashed and some of her equipment fly off her back, damaged. Another creature, seemingly out of nowhere, lunged at her. Her glowing green blood was splattered all over the lawn, and she grunted like an animal in pain.

She turned around to see the creature stand above her, it's tongue extended and ready to pierce her helmed forehead. Through her vision mode built made specifically to search out these creatures she saw how close the creature was too her and how it was about to end her life.

**How could I have missed this one?**

The creature then cried out as something struck it on the head from behind. The Huntress quickly changed vision modes and saw that the human youngling was up on his feet and looking like he had just thrown something at the prey.

**What is this?**

(SSJNYH)

**Why did I do that?**

Shinji saw the piece of pipe that he had just thrown at the creature fall back on the ground beside it. Fear gripped him instantly when creature turned towards him and lunged at him…

(SSJNYH)

The Huntress extended what appeared to be blades from the device on her left wrist and lunged at the creature before it could attack the human child, immediately slashing away a chunk of it's flesh and spilling acidic blood all over it's wrist. She bellowed in agony, before pulling back and driving her wrist blades through the creature's head, splattering it and sending blood everywhere.

She withheld the urge to scream in agony as the acidic properties of the creature's blood burned away at her left hand, already melting her wrist blades and computer away. She got down on one knee as she begun shaking her hand off the blood still on it.

**It hurts…**

She then glimpsed at her hand, and was relieved to see her hand was not too badly burnt. At best it would heal fully within a few days…

The Huntress froze when she suddenly felt the young human's arms wrap themselves around her legs in a hug, followed by wetness as the boy cried into her left leg, holding onto her as he spilled his sadness onto her. Startling the Huntress, she stood back up, she looked down at the human, as if looking through the human child that was not afraid of her, but rather sought comfort from her.

**What is this that radiates from this ooman youngling?**

The human child looked up at her, tears still falling from his eyes as he lowered his arms. She cocked her head to the side, if curious of the boy he had unknowingly saved from the prey she had just slain.

**Sadness?**

**Pain?**

**Fear?**

"Uncle…aunty…" Shinji sniffed. "The monster…killed them."

Tears still drizzled down his cheeks as he begun to furiously rub his reddened eyes

"Just like…mommy."

**Anger?**

He put his hands to his eyes, letting go of the Huntress' legs as he once again cried, the hunter still watching him quietly and curiously.

**So much of those. How can any creature, let alone an ooman this young, feel this much sadness, pain and fear in their lives? **

Shinji looked up miserably at the Huntress as she continued to gaze down at him.

**So much hurt.**

"You killed…monster…" Shinji moaned. "Killed…aunty…uncle."

The boy then turned away from the Huntress, shivering as a wind blew past him. He tried to keep himself warm by wrapping his arms around himself, all the while the Huntress still watched him, observing him, studying him. The boy walked up to towards his burning house, attracted to the heat that radiated forth, sparing him the effects of the cold. He stretched his hands forward, feeling the warmth on his hands first before it spread to the rest of his small body.

He rubbed his arms thoroughly as he warmed himself up, not noticing the Huntress walk towards him, glancing between him and the pipe that Shinji had thrown at that prey, giving her a chance to finish it off.

**Despite the youngling's immense fear it risked itself for me. And now it warms itself using it's own burning home?**

The Huntress heard sirens off in the distance as the burning house begun to draw attention from far away. She recognised those sounds; they always meant more of them usually came and were usually heavily armed. She also heard more sobbing from the youngling human, which added to his sobs already echoing and replaying themselves through the system in her mask. She bent over slightly and stretched her left hand forward towards Shinji's neck and jugular.

**Curious.**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji gasped when he felt something lightly grip him by the neck, before he felt the world around him go dizzy and he blacked out.

**Dad…**

Strangely before he blacked out the Huntress' touch and how her alien feminine fingers on the nape of his neck reminded him of someone…someone whose title he repeated many times over that he wished he could feel once again.

**Mom…**

* * *

_Kainde Amedha _– Hard Meat  
_Cjit - Expletive (Shit)_


	3. Chapter 2: Bravery

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

* * *

Chapter 2 – Bravery

* * *

For Shinji after mysteriously passing out like that, it felt like a few seconds later when he woke up. The humming sounds of something in transit greeted his ears, while a splitting headache greeted him between the eyes. He found he was lying on something soft; lying down somewhere that felt like he was in motion, like a moving vehicle. He opened his eyes to find himself staring up at a very unfamiliar ceiling.

"Wha…?"

A ceiling, and sure enough he saw that it was a room, that was not of human design. Rather it was alien, completely alien. From what little light that shown from a glowing diamond-shaped lamp giving off a golden light situated next to the moss-like mattress he laid upon the walls were steel with intricate designs and patterns sprawled all around them.

"Hel…lo?" he weakly called out. "Is someone there?"

Putting a hand to his throbbing head he sat up and realised that his bloodstained clothes were removed from him, save for his black-coloured underwear.

He quickly wrapped himself up in his arms; nervousness engulfing him as he fearfully looked around, eyes darting left and right as tears begun to well in his eyes.

**Wha…what's going on? Where am I?**

He begun to hyperventilate in panic when he noticed something hanging over what appeared to be a chair. Upon closer inspection it was a small tunic made of a thick fur. Looking down at his state of undress, he curiously stepped over to the chair, grabbed hold of the flimsy material and put it on. He sighed when he looked down at himself, seeing that it covered his whole body down to his knees.

There was a hissing sound and additional dull light shined into the room onto him. Shinji turned around towards the source and saw that a door had opened and standing in the doorway was the Huntress, towering above him. Her wounds were dressed in grey-coloured sutras and much of her weapons were removed from her person.

Shinji's eyes widened as he almost strained his neck in order to look up at the Huntress' head, where she looked down at him and crossed her arms. He rubbed his neck uncomfortably, where the Huntress then squatted down on one knee so that their head were almost level; but at least Shinji wouldn't hurt his neck looking up.

The silence between the two of them quickly became unbearable and Shinji dared open his mouth.

"Where am I?" he asked, uncertain. "Ho…who are you?"

The Huntress slanted her head as if trying to understand him. She then raised her left hand, extending her index and middle fingers and pointed herself. She then spoke/growled/hissed in a language incomprehensible to Shinji.

**What?**

The look in Shinji's eyes told her that he didn't understand, so she repeated herself, tapping the armour plating on her chest repeatedly. Shinji listened to what she was saying carefully and it took about half-a-minute for him to understand.

He smiled softly in spite of himself and pointed at her, repeating what he thought the Huntress referred to herself as, "G…Gaun?"

The Huntress, now known as Gaun, bowed her head in acknowledgment then stood back up, arms now on her hips. She then pointed at him. Shinji's smile faded and he was immediately confused, but quickly caught on.

He pointed at himself, "Shinji."

The Huntress stared down at him.

"Sh…in…ji?" she reiterated slowly, as if getting a feel for his name.

She turned a head a bit in comprehension, before she stepped out of the room. Shinji's eyes widened.

"Hey, wait…"

The door then closed, trapping him once again in the room. He ran up to the door…

"WAIT, PLEASE…"

He then banged on the door, feeling his eyes tear once again.

**What's going on?**

**What's going to happen to me?**

He then turned around, sobbed and slunk down on the ground, his back against the door as he now looked at the bed, tears running down his face as he continued to try and comprehend what was happening, and what was going, to happen to him.

**Dad!**

**If you found out that uncle and auntie are dead and where I was, would you come and get me now?**

(SSJNYH)

The bridge of the starship which currently traversed across the stars, already light years away from Earth, shared the same twisted, archaic architecture as any other room or section on board. Only that this room was filled with the appropriate technology and equipment needed to helm the space-faring vehicle to any destination those that were behind the figurative wheel needed to go.

**It did not feel right, leaving him locked in my quarters much less bring him with me; taking him off his planet and bringing him back to mind. But somehow it was dishonour, pure and simple, for me to just leave him in front of his burning home and to bury what charred remains were left of his parents.**

**But at the moment I have more to bear than I care to have. Especially with the captain who no doubt has many things to say to me…**

"What are you trying to achieve, Gaun? Trying to relegate yourself down to Lou-dte kalei status, just like you almost did before?"

On the bridge and surrounded by other mask wearing humanoids, all of which were males' Gaun snarled at the back of the ship's captain and replied in a dialect unlike anything from Earth, "Do not even joke about that, shipmaster."

The ship's captain turned to face Gaun, revealing that he wasn't waring a mask. His brown coloured beady eyes are were covered by a shadow from the slight protruding of his big forehead. There were two sets of tusks covering the mouth - the first set is the largest, a large and boney flesh-covered mandible tipped with a single white tusk pointed in a vertical upwards position under the second pair. The second are pointed in a vertical sideways position covering the tips of the tusks from the first pair. The inside of the mouth was soft with a pinkish red colour that is lined with even more teeth.

The other male hunters all wore the same type of clothing as Gaun, only more masculine. They only wore their mesh netting over their bare chests, where the captain wore armour platelets across his chest, which signalled his standing on board the ship. The thing that made Gaun stand out from the males present was that they were each a foot shorter than she was – about seven feet tall to be precise.

The captain was not daunted by the size and superiority of the female, and so demanded, "I asked you a question."

Gaun growled, flaring her mandibles, "You can call it spur of the moment. The hard meat we were made to hunt down and dispose had already begun to kill off the ooman populace of the settlement, only to be stopped by being in the presence of this youngling."

She then paused as she reflected.

"And I saw that Kainde Amedha was not keen on taking his life."

The captain crossed his arms and chortled, "Do you think honestly think that this child of ooman prey is _the_ one that our Elders preached about in the days of old?"

"Why not?" Gaun snarled. "The ooman stood before the Kainde Amedha, and the prey was hesitant about killing him…."

The other hunters on the bridge glanced at each other, while the captain turned his back on the Huntress and bellowed, "I understand the myth, Gaun. There is no need to remind me. But you know…"

He looked over his shoulder, eyes narrowed,

"…this ooman looks like the frail kind. It would not survive a month on the our world."

"We will see," Gaun replied.

"Would it even survive standing before the Elder?" the captain queried, mandibles flaring again.

"That will be up to him."

"_Him_?"

(SSJNYH)

Shinji was once again asleep, lying on the mattress in a fetal position. His eyelids wavered as he dreamt, and quietly groaning. He was obviously suffering from a nightmare, but this time he didn't cry. In the past whenever he had nightmares he would always cry in his sleep. But now, having seen the 'nightmare' up close and personal and survive, there was no long anything in his head that could ever make him cry ever again.

**I'm asleep. I can't cry…I saw _it_ up close, and I was brave…I don't think I can cry any more. The nightmares can't scare me any more…**

He suddenly woke up when the ship began to shake violently, and everything around him begun to vibrate.

**I…I think I'm on a spaceship. I've been abducted by aliens, I'm on a spaceship.**

Suddenly everything lurched forward and Shinji almost flew off the mattress, instinctively gripping the side of it and falling back down, face first.

"Ow!"

More vibrating following, then silence. Shinji looked up from the mattress and towards the door. It then opened and revealed Gaun. Shinji's immediately got up onto his feet.

"G…Gaun?"

The Huntress looked down at the boy and waved her hand, indicating that he should follow her. She stepped out of the doorway and Shinji followed after her. Glimpsing around himself, he saw that the ship's main hallway was as intricately designed as was the room he was just in. He was wary of any other masked humanoids he passed by, and the stares as got as he walked in step behind the Huntress.

As he walked he felt that everything became a bit heavier, that something unseen was slightly putting pressure on him. Crushing him almost. After a full minute of walking, where Shinji was tired, they found themselves standing in a circular chamber.

**Oh…**

Shinji's eyes widened when he saw what appeared to be skull rack right next to a large door. It featured several different skulls propped up behind a glass barrier. He recognised one of them as human and another as the skull of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

A T-Rex?

A roar suddenly made him turn quickly to face Gaun, who judging from her body language she was impatient.

"S…sorry." Shinji meekly responded and continued following after her.

The door opened and orange light engulfed the chamber from around the corner of another hallways. Shinji continued walking behind the Huntress, his eyes gradually adjusting from the dull lighting of the ship's interior to the outdoor sunlight of…wherever they were. Shinji narrowed his eyes and shielded them with his left hand as he stepped off the ship…

"Whoa!"

…where he now found himself beneath a setting sun on a barren-looking, arid world. Though he still standing on the ship outside it's rear entrance he found that he it had landed on a landing platform overlooking a canyon. Settlements were built near the edges of the canyon as well as into it as Shinji could see, giving it the appearance of a city somehow going over a cliff.

**Is this…another planet?**

(SSJNYH)

Gaun could see the bewilderment plastered all over Shinji's little face. She shook her head.

**Such awe for our world. It is a pity it could very well be the last thing he sees.**

**I am such a fool.**

"Gaun?"

She heard Shinji refer to her by her name. She turned to face him, see him look up at her hopefully.

The Huntress couldn't understand a world he said when he asked, "What's going to happen to me now?"

"Gaun!"

They both turned to see other hunter approach them. Shinji's face went white as the hunter leading them was without a mask and Shinji glimpsed at the scorpion-like face for the first time. The hunter was almost as tall as Gaun but had more body and bulk which was covered in mesh, full armour plating and weapons. His skin tone was yellowish and speckled with black spots and was almost fully covered in scars.

On the left side of his head was a brand: It was the same F/T marking on the Huntress' mask.

"Nam."

Gaun reached for her mask and removed it, Shinji watching her intently as she did so and saw that her face was like that of the approaching hunter. She glimpsed down at him and saw that he was once again terrified, but this time it was because of him seeing their face for the first time. Feeling worn out, Shinji sat down on the rocky ground, elbows resting on his knees with his head bowed low.

The other hunter, Nam, addressed Gaun bluntly, "So that shipmaster was not lying about you this time, Gaun."

"_This_ time," Gaun acknowledged.

"And also this time," Nam appeared to be smiling. "The Elder will find cause to make sure you never board another ship again…."

He looked at Shinji. He glared as the human child and snorted loudly, causing him to look up at him frightened. He then step forward suddenly and Shinji was up on his feet in a flash, stepping back with his eyes concentrating on the hunters in front of him so that he could behind Gaun…

"AHH!"

…and almost going over the side of the cliff. Just as his left foot was about to touch air Gaun spun around and grabbed Shinji by the scruff of his tunic and toss him back forward so that he landed on his stomach, bringing up dust all around him. The hunters all laughed as the Shinji's misfortune, except for Gaun who just looked down at him with no emotion.

**Scared. So scared.**

"What a peculiar ooman pup," Nam said, mandibles moving upwards so it looked like he was smiling. "It looks scared…"

"And it's trying not to be," another hunter chimed in. "What do you make of that?"

Nam looked back at Gaun, now impatiently.

"Since you are acting on the supposed prophecy stated by the Mad Elder, you may yet receive a reprieve," Nam said. He then glimpsed down at Shinji as he picked himself up, "And the ooman, on account of being defenceless and not of age, will be spared and made to live with you until the day comes when he can be hunted in honourable fashion."

Gaun crossed her arms and snorted, "That is a relief to hear."

"Now come. The Elder awaits…"

(SSJNYH)

Word was quick to spread around the clan grounds and very soon most of the hunters were gathered at the city centre, which was situated on a elevated plateau in the middle of the chasm which was connected to by steel bridges, framework and rock. With the full moon in the night sky and shining down on them the Arbitrators and the higher ranking hunters were seated on the stage, while the Elder stood and preceded over the crowds that were gathering before him.

He was male, nine feet tall, armed to the teeth with an assortment of deadly weapons and various other deadly and adorned in a black cloak which complimented his armour. The amount of scars on his face and body and his grey dreadlocks complimented his age and status as the oldest of the clan. The tusk on his upper left mandible was missing, no doubt having lost it during some conflict at one point of his life.

The hunters all stood as the Elder bellowed out loud.

"There can be no doubt that information travels fast around our small clan," the Elder crossed his arms. "Our small, yet out of a other clans on this planet and elsewhere, the most dedicated to the hunt. And it is true."

He frowned.

"A Pyode Amedha youngling has been brought back here by the Warrior Gaun."

Surprise enveloped the majority of the hunters present, and they immediately begun quarrelling amongst themselves, much to the Elder's consternation.

"Yes, we have all heard of the that supposed prophecy surrounding the coming of a Hunter from one of the hunting grounds, the rambling of a half-mad Elder from two-hundred years ago," the Elder reminded everyone, but mostly himself. He then flared his mandibles, "But Gaun insisted on acting on the myth…"

The Elder then pounded his left fist into the palm of his right hand.

"…and now for brining a defenceless, worthless ooman pup back here she will judged."

The hunters all made way as Gaun and Shinji, escorted by two Arbitrators, were marched towards the centre between the crowds and the stage.

(SSJNYH)

Shinji stared around fearfully as he kept in step behind Gaun, seeing so many scorpion-like faces looking down at him. And judging from their eyes, they were filled with shock mixed with vehemence.

**I'm not supposed to be here. I just know it.**

He didn't notice Gaun stop in front of him and he walked right into her. She looked over her shoulder at him, mandibles twitching.

"S…sorry," Shinji muttered.

She then reached over and grasped him by his arm and put her in front of him before the stage and several other aliens, one of which appeared to be in authority judging from the numbers of weapons on his person and his cloak. Shinji gulped softly/

**This guy's gotta be the leader. They always wear capes, just like the bad guys on TV.**

**TV…I want to watch TV instead of being here. Anything…instead of being here.**

(SSJNYH)

The Elder's eyes widened as he saw a ooman child in the flesh, standing some distance away from him, on HIS home planet. He then narrowed his eyes at him and flared his mandibles, causing the youngling to step back a bit, fear evident on his small face.

The male hunter addressed Gaun, and amusingly, "You took the Mad Elder's words literally, did you not Gaun?"

"His words have merit, Honourable Elder," Gaun responded. "He stood before the Kainde Amedha. It in turn stood before him, unmoving."

"And you believe that it is _this_ ooman?" the Elder asked.

"No other ooman has stood before the prey, and the prey shirk from it's presence," Gaun replied, crossing his arms.

Shinji watched and listened to the exchange between the huntress who saved him and the other hunter that obviously had rank above her. He couldn't understand a word being said but he knew that she was defending him.

The Elder's mandibles moved themselves so that he appeared to frown, "If that Elder's prophecy was nothing but garbage, then you have disgraced yourself before your clan, your comrades, your family."

Gaun seemed unaffected by that threat, crossing her arms and glancing down at Shinji. The boy looked upwards right back at her, focussed. Shinji thought he noticed Gaun's inhuman eyes soften briefly, before the Elder's voice drew both their attentions.

"You were always known to be soft hearted when dealing with species that has some degree of intelligence, Gaun. How you avoided becoming a mere Lou-dte kalei is indeed a riddle, " the Elder said. "This ooman is fortunate that we sent _you_ to dispose of those loose Kainde Amedha."

The Elder then stared down hard at Shinji, who looked back up with wide eyes. He could see that he was terrified, but only in his brown orbs. He had to silently commend the ooman child with masking it's fear before him and everyone else that was gathered. The Elder compared the ooman's facial features to a type of prey reported to have been hunted back on Earth hundreds of years ago.

"It resembles the pups of the ooman warriors we hunted hundreds of years ago on the small islands. Those that can wield those thin, curved swords with much proficiency."

Gaun remembered that one of the frequent hunting spots back on Earth was this small country where it's warriors were referred to as…that term frequently escaped her…

**Sa…mu…rai? Sam..u…rai…Samurai! That is how it is pronounced. The warrior-class of those small islands, wielders of those long, thin swords.**

"Can it handle a blade?"

Gaun looked at the little boy, seeing how fragile his looked at he stood there before her, no longer jittering with nervousness having apparently gotten used to standing before the Elder and the most honourable of the clan.

"I have no idea," the Huntress admitted as she remembered how fragile a ooman child was, mandibles clicking as if in a submissive state. "You were right. It was the heat of the moment that moved me to save him…"

"Why don't we find out then?" the Elder cut her off.

The Elder reached for the ceremonial dagger hanging on his belt and threw it towards Shinji's feet. The boy jumped back, narrowing avoiding the blade from striking his left foot. He turned around to see Gaun stepping back away from him, joining the crowd that surrounded the circle. He begun to feel afraid, seeing her step away from him. He turned back to the Elder, who was now staring at him.

"Why don't we test this ooman's resolve?" the Elder suggested as he stepped forward. "See if it was worth your disgrace?"

Gaun shivered as she thought of the implications of being 'disgraced.' She watched as the Elder walked up to Shinji, drawing his scythe-like sword from it's sheath on his left hip. Shinji looked terrified as the imposing male Elder, then down at the blade lying at his feet. The Elder looked at the human sternly, then pointed his eyes down at the dagger as if demanding he pick it up. Shinji looked down at the dagger lying at his feet, then up at the Elder with confusion playing on his face. The Elder then pointed at the dagger…

"Ki!"

"K…Ki?" Shinji repeated, trying to get a feel for the words.

The Huntress felt her heart stop as the Elder's roar was terrifying to hear and a few of the younger hunters flinched upon hearing hearing. No more than Shinji, who closed his eyes tightly and quickly lurched downward and grabbed the dagger by the handle, holding it upward in a striking motion towards the Elder as his sword came down on him.

(SSJNYH)

**The way they talk, it sound like bugs clicking. That sounded like Ki? Does that mean knife?**

Shinji opened his mouth to cry out in fear, but nothing came out as he felt the point of his Elder's blade touch his forehead. He opened his eyes slowly and looked upward to see the Elder looking down at him, his sword between his eyes. For a brief second Shinji saw the Elder's eyes blaze glaringly at him.

With that he felt his hold on his blade loosen as his hands shook with nerves and tears run down his face again. He then sniffed, closed his eyes, shook his head and sucked it up. He then opened his eyes and glared up at the Elder holding his small blade up at the Elder. He had no chance of defending himself against the older, taller, physically stronger humanoid, but for the first time ever he felt the need to be defiant.

He had no idea what the Elder, Gaun, or any of these…things…were. But…

**I can't let them push me around. That's happened to me before. I can't let it happen again…**

The Elder raised his sword, Shinji still pointing his dagger at him glaringly. The Elder sheathed his sword and saw Shinji with his dagger still in his hands in his crude attack stance. The Elder stepped forward, causing Shinji to step back, still holding the dagger towards him. Another step forward on part of the Elder and the human boy stepped back again.

Shinji felt himself lifted off his feet and spiralled down onto his stomach…

"AH!"

…his left cheek stinging with his reopened wound and his elbows and knees skinned upon contact with the ground, blooding dripping down onto the stone. He closed his eyes, trying to blot out the pain but to little avail, a pained sob escaping his mouth.

(SSJNYH)

Gaun's eyes widened and her upper mandibles spread themselves in silent concern with seeing the Elder strike Shinji, his movement fast as lightning. Some of the other hunters noticed her staring intently at the little human as he laid on the ground unmoving, then at the Elder who continued walking towards him.

**If you want to live Shinji, I suggest you get up!**

Shinji moaned, before placing both his hands flat on the ground and slowly forcing himself up. He then painfully looked over his shoulder to see the Elder walking towards him, his lower mandibles spread with aggression.

Gaun noticed he still held the Elder's ceremonial dagger…

**He won't stop unless you prove you were worth his striking you.**

(SSJNYH)

**Get up. Get up. Get up! Get up! GET UP! He's going to kill you!These…these monsters are going to kill you!**

Shinji looked ahead away from the Elder towards the crowd of hunters gathered particularly the Huntress who identified her name as Gaun to him. The way he looked at her he silently implored her to step in and help him. The way she stared back, however, told him that he had to help himself.

He gritted his teeth as the tears still ran down his cheeks and now with full force. He heard the Elder's loud footsteps on the stone ground, and this time he couldn't bring himself to look over his shoulder to face him. He closed his eyes, contemplating with just lying there and taking whatever the Elder was about to bring down upon him.

It was submission. It was cowardice.

And it possibly meant death….just like how his aunt and his uncle died.

He pictured himself in their current state: Slashed, eviscerated, partially eaten, on fire, burnt to ashes…

**GET UP, STUPID!**And with his eyes still closed he got up, much to the amazement of some of the younger hunters. Now that he was on his feet…

**Don't run away!  
**

…he resisted the urge to run the opposite direction with his eyes closed and see how far he could go. But he banished the thought on the grounds of simple-minded foolishness. He opened his left eyes slightly as he tunned, seeing the Elder almost upon him. Closing his eyes fully and gripped the dagger and rushed forward…

**Run straight ahead! Run forward!**

…slashing wildly with both hands on the dagger's handle. This did not catch the Elder by surprise, who reared his left hand back and smacked Shinji across the face again, but this time he felt his own dagger slashed him across his arm, his growing green blood dripping onto the stone ground and onto his feet. Shinji cried as he landed roughly onto his left side, finally letting go of the dagger, which cluttered onto the stone ground, the blade green with the Elder's blood.

**I…I ran forward…!**

The hunters all looked bewildered as the Elder nursed the wound across his left arm, his right hand gripping it tightly to prevent more bleeding. Some of the hunters turned to Shinji, who held his bloody, swollen, left cheek as he tried to stand up.

The Elder looked at his wound, then at Shinji as he stood up and faced the Elder, wobbly on his feet.

(SSJNYH)

Gaun saw that the ooman youngling was feeling concussed, judging from his wobbly movements. She noticed the Elder looking at her, then rolling his eyes towards Shinji. She walked over towards the boy and caught him with both her hands as he fell over backwards, then knelt down as she carefully laid him on the ground. She looked down at his face as she bent over him, seeing a weak grin spread across his face.

"Gaun…" Shinji uttered her name quietly.

She watched his eyes closely as they slowly closed and his head lulled to the side as he passed out.

"Gaun."

She stood up and turned to the Elder, his hand still over his wound as he approached her.

"He is fearful, he _forces_ himself to be brave," he dictated. "The way he pointed my dagger at me with his eyes closed. How he ran toward me with the blade slashing wildly…"

He then smirked.

"…and I will admit: At least he has heart and knows how to fight back when almost pushed over the edge…figuratively and literally. "

He then removed his hand from his arm, observing how his blood still gushed out of the wound. He then turned to Shinji and once again.

"_He_ is yours," the Elder stated with no emotion, mandibles tucked towards his mouth. "Perhaps you can _beat_ his fear right out from him…"

He then cocked his head to the side in curiosity as Gaun picked Shinji up and slung him over her shoulder.

"In time for the day comes where he will be given an honourable death either in the circle or set loose to flee for his life. Oomans are such delicate creatures…"

And with that the crowd dispersed, the Elder walking away as he was tended to for his injuries. Gaun turned her head to the side where Shinji's body was slung over her shoulder.

She wondered if she was starting to regret bringing this ooman back home, back here towards a fate worse than death.

Maybe…

**But the look on his face…watching him for a whole week walk down that dirt road back on Earth, I am sure he would not have minded dying. But now, having charged the Elder, I thought I saw something different in his eyes…**

**Will. I saw will in his eyes. That is – the Will to live. Hopefully that will be enough for him to live on this world amongst us, until the day comes when he is of age to be hunted and be given the chance for an honourable death. **

**Until then if it proves too much for him and dies before he comes of age then I can't think a more honourable way for an ooman youngling to meet oblivion.**

* * *

_Gaun - Night_  
_Lou-dte kalei – derogatory term for female/breeder_  
_Ki – Knife/Blade (?)_  
_Pyode Amedha – Soft meat/human prey_  
_Kainde Amedha – Hard Meat/Xenomorph_

_Thanks for your favs, alerts and comments. It's nice to feel welcome back to the NGE section of . I'm still working on the next chapter and it should be ready soon._

_As usual I appreciate your reviews._


	4. Chapter 3: Chestburster

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue. Seriously if I was born twenty-years earlier than 1988 and was the son of a famous comic-book writer/animator/director I would've learnt how to speak Japanese, studied animation in Japan, met Hideki Anno and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and co-formed Gainax with them. That way NGE would have gone along my way.**

**Just thought I'd had something humorous to the usual disclaimer. Seriously, who **_**hasn't**_** fantasised about that?**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 3 – Chestburster

* * *

_**Eight Years Later…**_

"Seriously Ken I'm startin' to freeze my ass off!"

"Just a couple more minutes. I'm sure it'll turn up soon."

"Fine! A hundred an' twenty more seconds and then we're headin' somewhere warm. Got it?"

Situated on a hill overlooking the Fortress City of Tokyo-03 were two teenagers, both of fourteen years, and portable telescope set up on the dirt some feet away from the Shinto shrine. Peering through the eyepiece was a nerdish bespectacled boy with light yellow hair and the one standing behind him with his arms crossed had orange-hair was tall and well built, athletic. His manner of dress gave him the appearance of a jock.

An impatient, worn jock.

"Seriously Kensuke, though you otaku we're only interest in manga, military stuff and all dat shit! How'd ya' convince me to come with ya' up here on a freezing night like this?"

Still smiling, Kensuke replied as he adjusted the telescopic sight, "You said you were interested in seeing comets, didn't you."

"Yeah. A couple o' hours ago when I didn't know any better. Now my stomach's growlin' and my balls are shrivelled up."

"Toji!"

"Ah pipe down! You've heard me say worse!"

Alarmed, Kensuke cried, "I SEE SOMETHING! I THINK I SEE HOLMES!"

Interested, Toji's eyebrows were raised. He then narrowed his eyes.

"Bout' time too! Whaddya' see?"

Kensuke grinned as he adjusted the lens so that he could gaze on the comet as it passed by Earth's orbit, the night cold no longer making the hairs on his body stand on end. After about a minute his friend became more impatient.

Toji cleared his throat.

"Here, take a look," Kensuke stepped away from the scope. "Trust me, you'll be impressed."

"Doubt it," Toji muttered wearily. "But worth a try."

He put his eye to the piece and was visibly impressed at the large, dark mass that appeared to be getting bigger by the second. He noticed what appeared to be a comet flying by behind it…

Wait…

"Uh, Ken?"

"Yeah?"

"What I am suppose to be looking at?"

Kensuke raised an eyebrow, "A comet. Why?"

"Why'n da hell do I see a comet an' something big that look's like a giant horseshoe headin' straight for us?"

Toji stepped back to allow Kensuke to look through the scope again.

"Where'd that come from?"

He suddenly went for his backpack situated on the grass and pulled out a pair of binoculars. He then looked up at the sky where the telescope was pointing to see the large dark mass clearly as if he was still gazing through the telescope, indicating that it was getting larger…or more accurately put, getting _closer_.

"Uh…Kensuke? What da' hell is that? Why's it headin' straight for us?"

"I…I don't know," Kensuke was flabbergasted as he felt his hands shake slightly. "It can't be an asteroid or a comet or…"

"AW SHIT, LOOK AT DAT WILLYA!"

Kensuke put the binoculars down at the sound of Toji's exclamation and his pointing at the sky to see the mass, with fire erupting from it's rear, descending from the sky and toward their position over Tokyo-03 and towards the hill.

Both Toji and Kensuke looked at one another for a second, before screaming wildly and diving off the top of the hill as the mass struck the hill near their position. Grass, dirt, stone, structure and pavement was thrown into the air or crushed into pulp in an instant, and making a lot of noise that definitely woke the whole city up. That was followed by an explosion, which engulfed the entire hilltop and everything on it. Everything except the two teenagers who painfully rolled down the hill and didn't stop until they reached the bottom.

In the case of Kensuke, he didn't stop till he reached Toji's back.

"AH, FUCK!" Toji cried in pain as he tried to stand back up. "GEDDOF ME!"

Kensuke rolled off him and winced in agony as he tried to move, quickly shifting his left arms across his ribs.

He moaned, "Think I cracked a rib."

Toji exclaimed loudly as he popped his shoulder back into it's socket, "GAH! Think I cracked ma' back!"

They both looked up at the hill and the dust slowly settling downward, eyes widened in disbelief and horror as it begun to burn. Toji felt a trickle of blood from a cut on his forehead seep into his eyes. He was quick to wipe it away just as Kensuke opened his mouth again.

"What just happened?"

Toji stared at him in disbelief, "The hell _you_ mean 'what just happened?' What just happened?"

Kensuke clutched his aching head, "I…I don't know. God…we were almost crushed…"

"Yeah, by what though?" Toji demanded, then winced as his shoulder hurt. "Ahhh…shit…"

(SSJNYH)

_Commander Ikari?_

"What is it?"

In an apartment somewhere no logical mind would dare to try and locate the black-haired bearded, bespectacled man in his late forties threw on his overcoat and adjusted his white gloves as he spoke out loud towards a nearby phone on speaker mode.

_We have situation on the surface that the local authorities will respond to in no less than five minutes._

"Situation?"

_An identified flying object has landed outside just near the boundaries of Tokyo-03. Sensors detect no energy patterns, wave lengths or any identifiable signal of any kind._

Commander Ikari frowned as he button up his coat, glancing over at a nearby clock. It read 10:40pm, February 4th, 2015.

**Of course not. The time has not come yet. A week at most…**

_Do you have any orders, sir?_

Gendo pushed the entry bottom near the door.

"Inform local authorities that NERV will deal with situation personally."

_Yes sir. And the JSSDF?_

"Request they secure area around impact site. No one is allowed in or out. Use of deadly force is recommended."

He then stepped out, the door automatically shutting behind him.

(SSJNYH)

Toji thought he had to listen _very_ carefully for the sounds of siren, anything that would be coming his way to deal with the burning hill and whatever had flattened the top of it. But the only sound he could make were that of crickets, the wind and his own rapid heartbeat.

"Yo, Ken!" Toji said, his back turned to the hill and his friend. "Think we should get outta here before…?"

Toji's felt his jaw almost draw to the ground when he saw Kensuke running up the concrete steps up the hill towards the burning hilltop.

"KENSUKE!"

Camcorder in his hot little hands the otaku smiled inwardly as he climbed the steps, realising that one of his wildest dreams was about to come true. A UFO - who would have thought it'd land almost on top of his small head. He felt himself immediately sweat as the fires on the hill raged out of control, prompting to keep himself at a safe distance as he took his shots.

Through the flames he could make out a metallic, jet-black circular horseshoe shaped structure and immediately got to recording.

"GODDAMN, KEN!"

He felt Toji's hand grip his shoulder, but he quickly brushed it off much to the jock's detriment

"Hang on just another minute, Toji!" Kenuke exclaimed, smiling as he steadied his camera. "I'm making sure this is the greatest of my life!"

"We're gonna burn alive up 'ere, yo!" Toji grabbed him by the arm. "We're getting' outta here right now!"

No sooner had he finished yelling then suddenly they saw a massive cloud of what looks like smoke emerge from underneath the crashed object, which whooshed straight towards the pair. The cloud engulfed the hilltop and knocked them both of their feet.

"WAAAHHH!"

"MY CAMERA! NOT MY CAMERA!"

Luckily they didn't get blown right off the hill, save for Kensuke's camera which hurtled downward and busted itself to pieces as it bounded off the side of the hill.

Toji groaned as hie rubbed his throbbing head, "Ah! What da hell happened jus' den?"

Kensuke rubbed the soot of his glasses with his shirt and put them back on, revealing to himself the full extent of the 'damage.' Which is to say that the fires were all put out save for some glowing embers. When the dust and the cloud finally settled and dissipated both Toji and Kensuke saw the crashed object in all it's unhindered, uncovered glory.

"Whoa…"

The jet-black object that was embedded into the hill appeared circular, almost like a frisbee; and it was huge. It's appearance alone suggested that it looked like a spaceship of some unknown origin, not like anything that humans could have constructed despite their great leaps in aerodynamics other such avian technology.

Kensuke felt tears well in his eyes as he smiled at the sight of such a wondrous, mysterious and utterly alien object. Toji caught wind of this.

"Seriously, Ken!" he begun, sounding annoyed. "Let's get outta here b'fore those G-men show up an' silence us! You know ow' these things work!"

Ignoring him, Kensuke asked, "Are you thinking what…?"

"NO!"

Toji gritted his teeth and grabbed Kensuke by his shoulders and begun shouting in his face, bringing him out of his trance and startling him.

"No no no no no no….NO!

They stared each other down for a few second, Toji hoping that his friend would get the message. Kensuke downcast his eyes and nodded and Toji sighed in relief and let go of him.

Another few seconds later…

"SORRY! I HAVE TO SEE THIS UP CLOSE! DON'T JUDGE ME"

"WAIT UP YA' OTAKU SONOVA BITCH!"

Toji was chasing after Kensuke who was running towards the alien craft and one of the holes opened to the side. The smile on the otaku's face threatened to split it in half while Toji face was red from yelling after him and shouting curses at him.

(SSJNYH)

Misato Katsuragi, age 29, was in a panic state as she sat up in her bed in a cold sweat, breathing in and out harshly and anxiously. Moving a lock of hair from her eyes she slowly turned to the side and looked out the window to see smoke billowing in the distance from the other side of the city. She wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered.

**God, I _was_ dreaming after all. Woke up from some alien operating table to the sound of something making impact with the planet.**

Her eyes quickly adjusted to the low lighting in the room. She could make out several sealed cardboard boxes that she still yet to open and unpack their contents, having moved in the _week_ before, following her transfer to Tokyo-03 and the NERV branch there. A whole week and she still didn't know her way around the massive Geofront below the city and the main headquarters located there.

_RRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGG!_

"AH!"

She jumped when the phone on her bedside table rang, causing her to wrap her arms around herself even tighter. After about a minute of there she hesitantly reached for the phone and picked it up the hook…

"Hello?"

_So much for going to bed early, right Misato?_

Misato sighed. "Ritsuko."

_Tell me you __felt__ that?_

"I heard it as well," Misato said. "What the hell is it?"

_I have no idea but it's made Commander Ikari nervous. He's ordered all personnel to HQ immediately. That includes you, Captain._

"Oh joy," Misato crooned, smiling mirthlessly. "You enjoy seeing me get myself lost down there, do you?"

_Why not? Just get down here._

"Right. See you in a bit."

She put the phone down and yawned widely.

**Two hours of sleep. I'm sure I can last another twenty-four hours on that.**

Misato threw the covers off herself, revealing that she was wearing only her panties, and slipped out of bed. She grimaced when she stepped on an empty beer can, crushing it beneath her sole. She then shuffled towards the doorway and the light switch and flipped it on. She closed her eyes tightly as the light's glare assaulted her eyes.

She slowly opened her eyes and glimpsed down at the floor and the mess she was standing in. Her red military uniform was scattered all over the floor amidst books, papers and beer cans. She begun to mentally count them but didn't bother to continue after six.

**Wow…I drank that much and I didn't wake up with a hangover? Guess I must be due for some luck no matter how crappy the next few hours are going to be.**

After a quick shower and putting her uniform on including beret she made her way through her apartment towards the door, hoping to not wake it's other occupant. She was prompted to turn the light on in her kitchen to find a small penguin wearing a dog tag sitting up on the counter and drinking a class of water.

Misato smirked, the bird never ceasing to surprise her even after a month of ownership, 'Who would have thought?'

The penguin turned to face her, cocking it's head to the side curiously. "Wark?"

Misato grinned, "Yeah, it's going to be another all-nighter, Pen-Pen? Trust you can feed yourself?"

"Wark."

"Of course you can. You can open the fridge by yourself when my back's turned," Misato muttered. "I'll see you later, kay?'

"Wark!"

(SSJNYH)

Near the other side of the city Toji wheezed tiredly after Kensuke, where he now stood directly in front of the crashed ship. Toji hands were on his knees as he stared down at the ground as he thought to clasp his breath. He looked back up at Kensuke and groaned, seeing the otaku's hands clasped together and smiled happily as he just stood there dumbly in front of one of the cracks in the ship, eyes quivering as if he were ready to burst into tears of happiness at any given moment.

Knowing him, Toji reckoned he was about to do something else that was crazy. Sure enough, Kensuke pulled out a flashlight seemingly out of nowhere and turned it on, illuminating the passage that lay beyond the crack. Kensuke seemed eagerly to take another step forward and be the first person from Japan and hopefully in the whole world to step onto an alien ship.

However…

"KENSUKE!"

The otaku winced and was brought out of his stupor when Toji brought his hand down hard on his shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. Kensuke turned to stare into the tired, red, angry face of his best friend.

"All da grief ya been givin' me today," he growled out. "Gimme' another reason to kill ya! I'm beggin' ya!"

For the first time Kensuke frowned, "Seriously, what's so bad about checking out a crashed UFO?"

Staring at him like he was insane, Toji quickly countered, "Cause' it's a goddamn _YOU-EFF-OH_! We don't know what's in it!"

He then looked at him hard.

"An' it might wanna kill us, probe us or do both ta us! Reason enough for ya?"

Kensuke's eyes widened at Toji's brash statement…especially the part about _probing_.

"Ah…well…point taken."

"Finally! Can we leave now?"

Kensuke nodded and they turned to leave when…

"Help!"

They both froze when they heard someone call out to them.

"Some…one, please…help me!"

Someone called out to them beyond the darkened passage into the alien ship. It sounded human, it sounded like Japanese, although the dialect sounded slightly different. Also it sounded female, and it sounded like someone was in trouble. Toji swallowed nervously and glimpsed at Kensuke, who looked back just as nervous.

Kensuke exhaled, gripping the torch tightly in his hand, "Should we…go in and help?"

Toji grimaced, "_You_ wanted ta go inside. No better excuse."

They then nodded at one another and stepped into the crack in the side of the ship and the passage that laid past it. Kensuke's torch illuminated what laid before them – a twisted, black corridor almost bio-mechanical/organic in appearance that reminded Kensuke of the artwork of the artist H.R. Giger. The otaku sensed the jock sticking very close to him, seeing as how he held the torch.

They only sounds they heard as they traversed the corridor were their quickened heartbeats, nervous breathing and their light, hesistant footsteps…

"WAAH!"

…and Kensuke exclaiming out loud when Toji's brushed his arm with his hand, causing the jock to fall back and fall onto the floor. Kensuke flashed the light down on him and gasped.

"I jus' fell, Ken!" Toji was bitter. "No need to ave' a heart attack 'bout it…"

'J-just don't scare me like that," Kensuke helped him up. "I-I-I just decided I don't want to be here any more."

"Me neither," Toji brushed himself off. "But when I hear some broad callin' for help I…"

They then heard screaming which echoed down the hallway and causing the both of them to jump. Toji impulsively snatched the torch of Kensuke's hand and rush down the hallway.

"TOJI!"

Kensuke ran after him, heart pounding painfully in his chest. He followed after Toji and the only light source they had until they reached a two-way corridor. Kensuke panicked when Toji ran right and left him in darkness.

"TOJI, WAIT FOR ME! CAN'T SEE A THING…OW!"

His point was proven when as he slowed down his walked right into the wall, causing him to stagger back and grip his nose. He quickly shielded his eyes when Toji flashed the light at him and he could see that the jock had an impatient look upon his face.

"Try an' keep up, a'right?"

(SSJNYH)

Meanwhile…

"We have intercepted communications from Ikari to Tokyo-03 local authorities. Ten minutes agoaAn unidentified object has landed near the city limits."

"It is not time yet. It is the not _them_ that have descended from the skies onto Tokyo-03. It is something…else."

"What is it, then? There is nowhere in the scrolls that mentions something that takes this form."

"This warrants much concern. Especially if Ikari will think he can keep us in ignorance."

"Ikari knows that that is impossible. Whatever he may find he will be compelled to let us know what he is bound to find."

"SEELE-01, do you not have something to say?"

This banter was exchanged by twelve floating black monoliths each with the word SEELE, the numbers 1 to 13 imprinted and 'Sound Only' imprinted on them.

SEELE-01 spoke calmly, "I believe that this sudden twist of fate will make impact with the scenario. In whatever ways, however, remains to be seen."

SEELE-04, "They will no doubt be obstructive towards the scenario."

SEELE-06, "Ikari will definitely find some way to compensate for them. To overcome them."

SEELE-08, "Will this affect his commitment to our cause? Will he take advantage of them? Will it leave him at a disadvantage?"

SEELE-01, "Like I said: It remains to be seen. However we can trust that he will deal with the Second Coming of the Angels for when they do arrive."

SEELE-02, "But for what currently lays before us, how should _we_ deal with it?"

SEELE-01, "For now we shall let events play out in due course. We will intervene once there is a viable threat to our coming war against the Angels and the scenario itself."

(SSJNYH)

"Can't you slow down just a little bit!"

Kensuke continued in pursuit of the jock as he led the way through the darkened passageways, obviously no longer caring that they were running through a strange, possibly hostile environment that had just fell from the sky and almost on top of their heads. He swore than whenever Toji heard that someone was in trouble, damn everything else and jump right into lending a hand.

"Uff…see…light up ahead," Toji cried breathlessly. "Guess da' aliens invented da lightbub after all!"

Sure enough at the other end of the dark passageway they saw light up ahead. White, blinding light. Toji covered his eyes as he and Kensuke stepped into the light and into a large, oval chamber. The white light dissipated to reveal the horror that made both teens eyes widen and stomachs turn with terror. Kensuke quickly turned away and covered his mouth in an effort to keep his dinner down but failed, clutching his stomach and vomiting. Toji however stared straight ahead, eyes quivering in their sockets.

The chamber resembled the inside of a large rotunda. Hexagonal lights were built into the bio-mechanical, bone-like architecture and so illuminated the room, the obelisk and the small spiral staircase surrounding it that was located in the centre of the room. What appeared to be large, eggs were placed in straight lines of four from all sides of the obelisk, totalling sixteen. The eggs appeared to be opened, the creatures that had been incubating in them scattered around the room, all of them dead for some reason

These creatures appeared like yellow anthropods comparable to those of the chelicerate variety, with eight long finger-like legs, a long tail and what appear to be sacks located in each side of the creatures.

It was not these that unsettled the teenagers. Rather it was the sixteen exotic, scantily clad, young human women of Japanese descent chained the obelisk in an upward spiral motion. Toji had never seen that many attractive women in leather bikinis and loincloths each with various markings branded on the sides of their heads.

And he had never seen that many dead bodies before. Each of their eyes and mouths wide open in eternal horror, blood seeping from their mouths and from their burst chests. Their blood pooled around the obelisk and seeped towards conveniently placed drains, one of which was near Toji's foot. The jock felt sick to his stomach, but didn't break down like Kensuke had.

Toji continued to stare at the grisly sight before them.

**What da hell is this? Those women…all of em' fuckin dead. Da fuck happened 'ere?**

**Eh?**

He looked up at the top of the obelisk to find another woman – a chocolate-brown haired woman positioned over the top of the obelisk, her arms and legs spread and shackled to it. She was unconscious, not dead like the others which was evident but her chest not burst apart. Toji looked up at her; still unbelieving of the macabre he and Kensuke had stumbled themselves into.

"T…Toji?" Kensuke coughed as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I…I wanna get out of here now…"

They both jolted when the brown-haired woman coughed out blood and unconsciously struggled against her bindings, crying out. They both looked up at the obelisk, then at one another. Kensuke cringed uncomfortably, then rolled his eyes towards the shackled woman. Toji nodded and then immediately darted towards the obelisk, their shoes immediately stained red as they rain across the blood seeping downward into the drain.

**Dis' is crazy, dis' is insane! What da fuck?**

Reaching the obelisk they begun to run up the staircase, Toji trying to keep his food down while Kensuke was barely about to keep himself from tasting bile. As they climbed the obelisk Toji noticed something about the corpses.

**Dere' chest…dere're busted out from the inside.**

**Somethin' fuckin' burst out of dere' chests! What da fuck, man?**

When they reached the top of the obelisk, Kensuke threw once again over the side as tears streaked down his cheeks. Toji closed his eyes tightly, still unbelieving of where they were; which was an evil, sickening place. Quickly remembering why they had pushed onward he opened his eyes and gazed over at the shackled woman.

His eyes widened, seeing the gorgeous young beauty up close. His cheeks briefly went red as he was mesmerised by her physical form. With the small scar above her left eye slightly muscled biceps, calves and abominable muscles she resembled something close to an Amazonian warrior. The thing that caught his eye the most, however, was the black kanji inscribed on her chest just above her breasts.

犠牲

Sacrifice?

The woman suddenly moaned out loud and convulsed forward, bringing Toji to attention and Kensuke turned away from the edge of the stairs, alarmed.

"TOJI!"

"Elp' me out, ere'!" Toji shouted back at his friend. "Elp' with me da chain!"

The woman opened her eyes slowly to find two teenage boys trying to pull at the chains, which held her wrists to the obelisk, in a vain attempt to break them. Her eyes softened, eyelids narrowing and it took them a few seconds to realise that she was awake. They both stopped what they were doing to face her. Kensuke began smiling reassuringly at her.

"Hey!" Kensuke was the first to speak to her. "Can you understand me? Nod if you understand."

The woman did so.

Toji smiled, happy to know that the woman was receptive to them. "Sit tight, a'right? We're gonna bust you outta dese' ere' chains."

He then glanced at them, worryingly.

"Some'ow."

"K...K...K...K…"

They were both silent when they heard the woman try to speak to them.

"Wha…what?" Toji moved his head closer to her so that he can hear her. "What was dat?"

"K…kill…"

"Kill?"

"Pl…please…" the woman's eyes were now watering as she spoke, pleadingly. "K…kill me…"

She immediately gasped and convulsed, chest heaving forward as she subconsciously pulled against her chains. She begun screaming, the shock causing Toji to step back in alarm and fall off the stairs…

"ARGHHHHH!"

…and land on his back just near obelisk and onto one of the drains, blood splashing everywhere.

"TOJI!" Kensuke screamed. Another scream prompted him to turn back to the woman. "OH GOD!"

Her chest blooded as something very clearly was forcing it's way out of her sternum. Blooded poured from every orifice in her face as her chest was cracked. The blood gushing forward and sounds of bone cracking and being forced outward made Kensuke stagger backwards, trembling in fright as he witnessed the woman dying before his eyes.

"Oh…G-God!"

One last sickening crack of bone later the chest was burst outward and her killer emerged covered in blood and viscera, popping it's head out and shrieking. It looked like a eyeless serpent with small arms and it was struggling to pull itself out of the hole it made in the now dead woman's chest. Her body now just laid there on the top of the obelisk, motionless with her eyes and her mouth now wide open in silent terror.

Kensuke then ran down the steps, the sight of all the other corpses strapped to the obelisk heightening the terror as well as the newborn 'chestburster' still shrieking. He saw Toji lying in the drain and covered in blood.

T-TOJI!"

He grabbed the jock by the arms and helped him up on his rip.

"F-fuck…ma rip's broken fer' sure! 'elp me up!"

"We gotta go, now!" Kensuke was panicking. "Please, we have to get help!"

With Toji's arm thrown across his neck Kensuke supported him as they moved towards the passage entryway, the torch in his other hand.

"Oh…God…"

They hobbled down the hallway and went as far as about four steps when suddenly…

"WHAT DA FU…ARGHHHHH!"

Something grabbed Toji and hoisted him up into a hole in the passageway ceiling. Kensuke screamed as he looked up to see him disappear into the ceiling and felt himself let go of his friend, the sheer force of him being ripped from his hand causing him fall forward and land on his chest, his flashlight landing a few feet from him, the light shining on him. Squinting his eyes he quickly reached for it but suddenly felt something grab him by the back of his shirt.

"N-N-NO! NO! NO…HELP!"

The entity that grabbed him twisted it's arm so that Kensuke was facing it…in all it's surreal, phallic glory. Kensuke's eye widened and the blood drained from his face and he looked almost like he was choking.

Then he passed out from shock, the last thing he heard was Toji's screams mingling with the rustling, scampering sounds of these beasts footsteps as well as their snarls.

(SSJNYH)

Such frenzied inhuman activity was monitored from the cold, soundless vacuum outside Earth's atmosphere by the massive spacecraft that was swiftly approaching the planet. It begun to slow down once it approached the planet's orbit and it engaged it stealth system, it's cloaking device shielding it from any and all prying eyes through their telescopes and primitive radar systems based on the planet.

On board one of it's numerous observation decks the Hunter, leaning against the far wall and obscured by shadows that were not illuminated by the light projected from the sun and Earth, looked over the still-blue planet. He saw how the sea surrounding Antarctica, Ground Zero, was coloured red; that some of the smaller island and parts of the bigger continents had disappeared beneath the raised ocean levels. In short, the devastation that was post-Second Impact Earth.

The Hunter sighed. He didn't want to be here, but his honour dictates that he do so. In order to finally secure himself status amongst the clan. That desire had been there inside him ever since he made his first kill many years ago, making the Yautja finally realise that he could be one of them. Now his day had finally come.

Lightly sounding klaxons went off all over the ship and the observation deck. The door into observation opened, revealing another Hunter, fully armed.

"It is time, Curved Blade."

The Hunter nodded as the observation window shutters rolled over and bathed the room in darkness. Orange-coloured bulbs illuminated the area as he stepped out of the observation area with his clan-mate and went off to prepare for the trials that laid ahead.

* * *

_H.R. Giger – Oscar winning Swiss painter who was the creature/set designer for th__e original Alien film. Also tends to paint/design really freakish, scary stuff._

Well that's a wrap. Wonder whom this 'Curved Blade' Hunter is? Big mystery…

I've got a lot of things to say regarding NGE which I felt I never got a chance to express while writing EVA-Life.

With Toji's accent, I'm making it exactly like the manga. And seriously…if a giant UFO did crash land on Tokyo-03 I don't think Kensuke would pass up the opportunity to go check it out, just like he did with the 4th Angel. And Toji, being the best friend he is, would probably follow him to a bloody, horrifying, undignified death. Not that I plan to kill them off like some many other recent fics.

Or will I…?


	5. Chapter 4: Shonen and Nodachi

Disclaimer: See the Prologue

_A/N: Edit Made: Shinji reacting to Toji calling him a freak…_

Chapter 4 – Shonen and Nodachi

Misato felt vertigo for the third time since arriving in Japan as the vehicle elevator slowly lowered her and her Blue Renault Alpine A310 downward towards the large pyramid structure that NERV Headquarters, deep within the Geofront below Tokyo-03. No one could deny that the sight of quite possibly another world mysteriously built a mile below the planet's surface was a sight to behold.

**Like Rits said over the phone, the Commander _must_ be nervous…requesting the SDF to secure the perimeter around that massive horseshoe, it'll be hell trying to wrestle the situation from them.**

On top of that, thank God it was after hours at the shrine at the top of the hill. Anyone still up there when that thing hit wouldn't have felt a thing.

Once the elevator reached the bottom and into NERV HQ's parking lot, Misato felt a bit queasy as she stepped out of car, forcing her to lean against it, hand on the side of her head as she gradually got it together.

'Take the train next time,' she thought to herself. 'Small car on small slowly descending platform above world half-a-mile underground…not good. Not good at all.'

(SSJNYH)

Within the command centre located within the unusually named section of HQ called Central Dogma Lieutenant Maya Ibuki yawned as she sat at her console, almost close to resting her elbows on it as she fought off exhaustion. The brown-haired, twenty-four year old mousy-looking computer technician glanced at the large viewscreen in the centre of the massive chamber, recalling never working in such an environment before last week.

She yawned again, which prompted a response from the long-haired tech sitting at the console just across from her.

"No sleep for you either, huh?"

"Huh?" Maya snapped out of her daze. "Oh, lieutenant Aoba."

"It's Shigeru," her colleague smiled at her. "We'll be here for the long haul so we might as well get friendly with each other."

"Right," Maya responded, sounding uncomfortable. "Uh…no, I haven't slept yet. I just gotten back to my place when we were recalled."

"Yeah," Shigeru said, glancing over at the viewscreen which currently had a satellite image of the crashed UFO. He thought it reminded him of a horseshoe then anything else.

Maya exhaled painfully, "I really hope no-one was up on that hill when it crashed."

"Doubt it. It was after hours. Guess Buddha, or whomever people pray to up there, needs his beauty sleep after all."

Maya frowned, never liking humour pertaining to other people's religion. She was a modest woman, always empathetic and receptive of other people's feeling and a pacifist, yet here she was working for an organisation built around defence. Defence against an enemy that was vaguely mentioned during the briefing once she transferred here from Tokyo-02.

She thought it was the salary that attracted her to a place, and career, like this. However it was something else, that she couldn't put her finger on…

"Where is lieutenant Hyuuga?" Maya asked.

"He's at Tactical with the new operations head," Shigeru said, then muttered. "Lucky bastard."

(SSJNYH)

"Satellite images of unidentified object coming through now, ma'am."

In the war-room within Tactical the bespectacled technician stood there beside the holo-screen holding a clipboard with data imprinted regarding the crashed UFO. Misato was sitting down as she observed the smoking craft on the floating screen. Zooming outwards she and the other technicians present saw the armoured vehicles of the Japanese Strategic Self Defence Force encircle the hill, weapons pointed upward. VTOL Heavy Fighters were also on patrol around the perimeter.

"Good thing the UN Forces haven't arrived yet," Misato said. "They would have turned that hill into a crater by now."

"That's not a bad thing, ma'am?"

"It is if we piss off the superior, hyper-advanced alien race that hopefully accidentally steered that thing towards our planet," Misato replied dryly. "Besides…"

She glanced at the doorway as she continued, drawly.

"…Dr. Akagi will probably want to investigate this further it'd kill her to see something like this go up in smoke. And I'll be tagging along with her."

"You mean…going into that thing?"

"How else, lieutenant Hyuga? Now…"

She got back to business.

"Anything we need to know about this thing?"

Lt. Hyuga looked at the clipboard, "No colour patterns, no energy signatures. Nothing that we had been briefed on. Though…"

He flipped over the page.

"…approximately twenty minutes two movement signatures were registered by local scans entering that thing.

The NERV technicians all looked at each other, worrisome.

Misato bit her lip, "People are already inside that thing? Can we track their movements?"

"Negative," Hyuga answered, regrettably. "Intensive scans can't penetrate object's hull."

"Then God help them if the JSSDF decide to blast there way in there."

Misato turned to see a 30-year old blonde-haired woman in a lab-coat enter the room.

"NERV's Science & Engineering Division should have been on the scene instead of those grunts. Who knows what we'll stand to lose now they've secured that hill."

"Dr. Akagi," Misato greeted her, all business-like yet wary of her cold demeanour. "Has the Commander authorised NERV to take control of the situation?"

"He has, Captain," Ritsuko Akagi replied. "The science team, including armed escorts, is prepped and he wants you to take over field command from Major Canna, the CO down there."

Misato's eye widened briefly, 'Canna? Kentaro Canna – The Butcher of Valentine. Shit…'

"Is there a problem, captain?"

"No problem," Katsuragi responded. "Will the SDF be okay handing command over to NERV?"

Ritsuko smiled lightly, "They won't have a choice. And hopefully the guns won't be going off once we get there."

Misato grimaced slightly as Ritsuko turned and left the room.

**Great, she had to say _that_.**

**Now I know things are definitely going to go off-rails any time now.**

**I wonder how, though?**

(SSJNYH)

From the porthole of one of the numerous Armoured Personnel Carriers encircling the white-haired officer in his late-thirties Major Kentaro Canna lowered the binoculars from his eyes, having finished surveying the hilltop. Disengaging the night-vision feature on the binoculars he handed the binoculars to the nearby lance corporal manning the APC's .50 calibre and adjusted the officer's beret on his head.

"Inform command that there is no visible activity on southern hillside," the major ordered.

The radio operator in the APC replied, "Yes sir."

He descended back into the APC and after the radio operator gave his report over the line...

"Any updates?"

"Orders still stand, sir. Eliminate anything that approaches the barricades. NERV specialist team will arrive at the site in twenty minutes."

The major snorted, "NERV? Just what good are billions of wasted taxpayers' money anyway?"

"Uh…sir?"

"Wasn't talking to you, private," Canna replied.

Suddenly they heard something land on the roof of the APC, followed by the sound of the gunner getting smacked upside the head and him slumping into the APC.

"What the hell?" Canna saw the unconscious gunner slumped awkwardly below the gunner's porthole.

Drawing his sidearm he opened the APC's side door and stepped out, followed by two other soldiers armed with rifles. They didn't see anything.

'Of course, it's friggin' nighttime,' Canna mentally cursed.

He then reached for his binoculars and looked towards the hill, activating night-vision and adjusting the lens so that he could see normally. He saw something…save for the brief translucent image of a humanoid running towards the hill away from the JSSDF barricades. Canna lowered the binoculars and blinked, seeing if it was just a trick of the eyes. When he browsed again, the translucent humanoid had disappeared.

One of the soldiers noticed how he just reacted and asked, "Sir, did you see anything?"

Canna shook his head, "Don't know."

He then barked.

"Change of plans! We're not waiting for NERV to take over! Request HQ that we breach that thing!"

"S-sir?"

"Is there a problem, private?"

"No, sir," the radio operator responded, not liking the idea of going into something that just dropped from the sky.

"Then do it!"

"Yes sir!"

(SSJNYH)

"Uhhhhhhhhhh…"

Kensuke felt himself being dragged as he opened his eyes, seeing through his cracked spectacles the black biological ceiling and several white lights built into it. He looked down to see that it was one of the serpent creatures dragging him by his left foot.

"Ah…ARGHHH…NO, LEGGO!"

He tried to pull his foot way, prompting the serpent to turn around and snarl at him before launching itself at him and head-butting him hard, knocking him out. It felt like a few seconds later when his eyes opened once again and greeted by blurriness, signalling that his glasses were missing. He strained his eyes to see what was just ahead of him.

"T…Toji?"

The unconscious jock was fastened to the wall in some kind of secreted resin that formed a cocoon, his head dulled. An egg was positioned just before him. Kensuke tried moving but realised…

"Ah…c-crap"

…he was cocooned as well, and one of the eggs was placed in front of him.

"T…Toji?"

The jock stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He tried to move and his head shot up in panic.

"W…what da f…?"

"Toji!"

He looked ahead to see the otaku opposite of him and the same predicament.

"Kensuke!" he exclaimed, struggling against his secreted bond. "Da hell we're are?"

"Hey shush," Kensuke cringed. "You wanna bring them back here?"

"Dey _are_ here," Toji hissed. "Right in front'a us!"

He stopped struggling, his head lulled as he tried to catch his breath.

"Don't like da look of deze eggs!" Toji again begun struggling, trying to break his left arm free. "Do'ze crab thingies got to 'ave come from them. HA…!"

He smirked triumphantly when he tore his left arm free, which immediately shot towards the resin holding his right arm, he immediately begun grunting with exertion as he tore at it. Kensuke was visibly impressed by this, but then noticed that the egg in front of him begun to shake lightly. Toji didn't notice this as he gripped a strand of resin and tore it off his right arm.

"Gotcha, bastard."

"Uh…Toji?"

"What?" Toji looked at him suddenly. "Aw shit…"

The egg then opened.

"What the…?"

And another of the crabs creatures climbed it's way out and shook off what appeared to be it's embryonic sac as it struggled upward, it's long finger-like limbs instantly chilling the teens' blood. Toji begun struggling harder, cursing quietly as the crab gripped the top of the egg for balance, facing Kensuke. The formally bespectacled otaku felt his throat had closed up in terror. Not like when he was watching a horror movie and he sometimes can't help but gasp or even occasionally scream at the top of his lungs.

But here in real life, he didn't make a sound.

"Toji!"

The crab suddenly spun around and lunged at Toji.

"TOJI!"

"Huh…GAAAAK!"

Toji saw the crab lunge at his face from the corner of his eye and immediately shot his left hand towards it, gripping it by the centre and stopping it from making contact with him, but immediately felt it's long tail snare itself around his throat and begun strangling him. He almost reflexively let go of the grab in order to untangle the tail and stop it from strangling him, but instead continued keeping the crab and it's tube-like appendage from his face. He felt it's member (if it can be called that) slither against the palm of his hand and, despite being strangled to death, immediately felt disgusted.

**What da FUCK? What's it tryin' ta do ta me?"**

Kensuke watched helplessly as the crab-monster continued to asphyxiate Toji, trying to keep him to let his victim go so that it could go for his face and do god-knows what to it. Toji felt his face go blue and dots begun dancing in front of his eyes. His vision begun to go hollow as he felt himself going dull in his oxygen-deprived.

The egg still in front of Toji just when he felt like letting go of the creature and allowing it to have his way with him.

BLATT! ZZZIIIINNNNNGGGGG!

A small, pronged metallic object hurtled down the passage and struck the crab he was gripping against, sending it hurtling out of his hand, but not out of sight because of it's tail still wrapped around Toji's throat. The jock felt it's tail grip around his throat weaken and he quickly reached for it, tearing it away from his throat. He almost choked as he sucked down oxygen, tears welling in his eyes, as he felt happy to have survived being strangled.

"Toji!"

Another crab emerged from the egg in front of Toji and…

BLATT! ZZZIIIINNNNNGGGGG!

…another projectile flew down the passage and struck it, pinning against the far well. It's squeal sounded like an electronic device dying as it struggled against the projectile, resulting in impaling itself even more. Toji coughed loudly some more before he tore off the resin covering his left arm. With both hands he tore away the stuff covering his legs, causing him to fall forward onto the ground right next to the egg.

"ang' on, Ken!"

He then went up to Kensuke and begun ripping his bindings. He then turned to his left where those projectiles had hit the crabs and kept from away from him, only to see no-one and nothing there. He stopped pulling against the resin momentarily…

"TOJI!"

…but Kensuke brought him back to reality with his loud exclamation.

"Pipe down will ya," Toji hissed. "Ya wann bring mor' o' dose' tings down…?"

He froze, stiff as a board, when they both heard loud hissing come from down the passage to their right. They both glanced at one another, before they struggled against Kensuke's bindings even harder. Kensuke tried forcing his left arm as Toji pulled against the resin.

"Get me outta here!"

"Need a lil' elp' ere'!"

One loud crack louder they freed Kensuke's left arm, followed by his right. Toji stopped him from collapsing forward.

"Ya a'right?"

"Yeah."

Toji glanced at the crap that had covered both his palms. Grimacing he wiped them on his pants, not realising they were covered in more of the stuff.

"AH!"

Kensuke cried out when he saw one of the serpents rushing down the passageway towards them. They took off down the other way, hearts pounding against their chests as they forced themselves against exhaustion and shock to flee, not knowing where they were going as they ran through the barely-lit passageway, then going right down some other passage.

"Do you…know where we're…going?" Kensuke cried between breaths.

"Shuddup an' keep runnin'," Toji shouted at them. "Fuckin' run! Aw shit…"

More serpents came at them from another passage they were about to run down. Kensuke shrieked and fell backward as he tried to turn. Toji grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him up. They then continued running down another corridor, hoping they these wouldn't be completely surrounded by these things that wouldn't be coming at them from another corridor, every passage, every nook and cranny.

They ran into another room, where immediately a circular door appeared from the passageway ceiling and sealed it behind them.

They spun around, Kensuke saying, "What?"

When they heard the thump of dozens of serpents pummelling themselves against the door, they leapt away from it in fright. Kensuke stared at the door and felt his eyes water as they felt strained without his spectacles. Toji, despite realising what he was seeing before was not his imagination or his eyes were not going bad as Kensuke's, still couldn't believe it.

"Holy…whoa…"

They were in a massive room. The architecture wasn't any different than the obelisk room, but instead of said blood-splattered obelisk was a large object resembling a chair crossed with a hammock with a equally large humanoid skeleton reclining in it. Beneath the hammock was a machine resembling a large telescope, which the humanoid that appeared to have a small trunk where it's nose should be, had been in control of the ship.

"Holy…" Kensuke was almost rendered speechless. "You think he…?"

"It's dead," Toji stepped up the side of it, standing on his toes to get a closer look at it.

He saw that it's ribs were bent outwards and grimaced.

"Definitely dead."

"I-I don't understand then," Kensuke went on. "He looks like…"

"_He_?" Toji questioned.

Kensuke frowned, "He looks like he'd been dead for, I don't know, a long time. He couldn't have piloted this ship, or even crash it."

Toji looked around, hearing the creature all around them. "Ya still prattling on wit' ya theories? We gotta get outta ere'!"

They heard shrieking and two serpents emerge from the ceiling and scamper downward the oval walls. Toji looked petrified and felt his hair stand on the end while Kensuke shrieked.

"OH GOD!"

The creatures lunged long-range from opposite ends of the walls, both diving towards Toji. Kensuke rushed towards him and pushed him out of the way…

"OOFFF!"

…where suddenly one of the serpents was struck with a spearhead, the sheer force separating it's head from the rest of it's body. The other serpent flew overhead Kensuke, the otaku feeling it's claw clip him across the side of the head.

"ARGH!"

The serpent directed it's attention towards it's attacker. It could only open it's mouth to reveal it's teeth and hiss before it shared the same fate as it's brethren. Only that it's head exploded to pieces, it's blood splattering all over. Toji and Kensuke quickly scampered away from the drops, seeing them start to burn through the floor.

"Aw, jeez…"

Petrified, Kensuke quickly tore his left shoe off when one of the alien's blood droplets begun to burn through it.

"Dey' got fuckin' acid fer' blood?" Toji shouted angrily. "Fuck!"

"Please…stop swearing," Kensuke said meekly.

"What?"

"Stop saying _that_ word."

"What word?"

"F-f-f-fuck."

"Ow' 'bout watchin' _yer_ language, why don't ya?"

"Huh? I didn't say that."

Both teens froze, sensing that someone was standing right behind them.

"Uh…who killed those things, anyway?

Toji and Kensuke slowly and cautiously turned around to see whoever had just harpooned the two serpent creatures and just spoke that dirty word. Kensuke's eyes widened as his both his imagination and his knowledge on several years worth of anime and manga badasses was suddenly kicked into overdrive upon facing his saviour.

"Whoa."

The figure that was leaning against the doorway entrance and holding a large weapon resembling a rifle appeared to be human, and adolescent for that matter as indicated by his size and stature. But he was at least an inch taller than Toji with slightly more muscle in his arms, legs and torso; his baby fat all but burned away. He was athletic, not built big, but had muscle nonetheless. His manner of dress could be considered both exotic and militaristic – he wore pieces of armour that protected his shoulders, elbows, arms and legs. In terms of actual clothing he wore mesh that covered every part of him below his neck and what looked like brown leather armour in the form of an A-shirt that clung to his slightly muscled frame which cut of just above his exposed belly and a brown loincloth. His feet were wrapped in brown bandages, the civilisation he hails from obviously never had heard of proper footwear.

Complimenting this warrior was a slightly tattered black scarf that was wrapped around his neck and a hood that covered his head and because of the poor lighting in the room the teenagers couldn't see his face.

Kensuke's eyes widened when he though he saw what appeared to be a sword handle protruding from behind the warrior's back, the tip of the sheath emerging from the other side of his body. He also noticed wrist devices, what appears to be a utility belt around his waist, a bandolier of strange pronged spear-tips and small blades down across his chest. What really caught the otaku's attention was the small cannon propped up on the figure's left shoulder. A small red-laser was being emitted from the hood, presumably from the side of the Hunter's head, where three red dots in set up as a pyramid that was pointing at his chest.

Essentially (in his opinion) he had enough weapons to put Rambo to shame.

Toji looked behind himself to see the two still alive and shrieking serpents, then quickly back at the hunter.

"Uh…nice shootin', yo?" Toji smiled hesitantly and extended a thumb backward towards the pinned aliens.

"Y…yeah," Kensuke added, giving a thumbs up. "Yo…you're pretty good with that…spear-gun, right?"

The Hunter disregarded them for a few seconds, before his eyes lit up in his hood that immediately caused them to freeze in place and shake nervously.

"Spear…gun…right?"

They were alarmed to hear the Hunter speak, repeating the last words Kensuke just said, albeit in broken Japanese. His tone of voice was irregular to his dark, mysterious persona; which suggested him as someone meek and soft-spoken but that did little to curb the teenagers sudden fear of him. His speargun compacted itself, the barrel retracting into the rest of the rifle and allowing him to holster it on the side of his leg, where he then reached with his left hand for the sword hilt and drew almost six feet worth of thin, curved steel.

Kensuke's eyes widened, the otaku unable to keep a smile from his face in anticipation, "Oh…my…"

They heard a screech come from behind them and saw another of the serpents charge at them. They cried out in panic, before they were both knocked out of the way and the creature was impaled by the Hunter's long-bladed nodachi – the Japanese 'field sword.' Kensuke couldn't keep the smile off his face as he heard the serpent squeal as the Hunter manoeuvred his sword leftward, splattering acid all over the wall which slowly begun to melt away. Kensuke looked over his shoulder to see him slay the Serpent, grinning from ear to ear.

'Near horrible death aside,' Kensuke thought happily. 'This is the greatest day of my life! Yeah, this has to be…'

His smile faded when he realised that the acid didn't eat away at the steel that the sword's blade was forged from. His hair stood on end when the Hunter looked their his way and stepped up to them. With his free right hand he reached down and grabbed Kensuke's by the scruff of f his shirt.

"Up. Up…now," the Hunter demanded roughly and brokenly.

"Hey! O-ok, ok…leggo!"

The Hunter displayed remarkable strength despite presumably being in the same age group as Kensuke and Toji, able to lift Kensuke back on his feet with only one hand. When he went to do the same to Toji the jock brushed his hand away

"Git' 'way from me!" he exclaimed. "Don't fuckin' touch me, freak!"

The Hunter immediately recoiled, stepping back from the boy. They stared one another down, then the Hunter growled and stepped forward…

WHACK!

…and suddenly head-butted Toji, knocking him flat on his ass onto the hard techno-organic floor.

The Hunter then growled, "Pauk!"

Kensuke gasped out loud, before dashing forward and helping him up.

"Wha…what the fuck…?" Toji groaned, nearly concussed.

They both stepped up at the Hunter, and slowly begun to shiver in the presence of the dark-clothed interloper. The Hunter's head shot up when more of the creatures emerged from the ceiling. The Hunter pointed towards another open door.

"Go!" the Hunter exclaimed aggressively.

Toji and Kensuke wasted no time, running towards the open door and leaving the Hunter to deal with more of the serpents. However, instead of waiting for them to come down to him and engage him in melee the targeting lasers locked on to the closest one. A second later his shoulder-mounter cannon unleashed a blast of plasma, sounding like the crack of an electrical whip, blasted apart the nearest creature.

Just as Kensuke stopped to turn around…

"Don't even think' 'bout it!" Toji yelled at him. "Keep running! Dis' path's gotta lead somewhere!"

He then rubbed his aching forehead.

**This ain't gonna be the last of that!**

(SSJNYH)

They escaped from the chamber just as the Hunter blasted the rest of the creature's apart. He then turned towards the large chair, which held the mysterious dead pilot. He then stepped towards it and crouched near it, opening up his left-wrist computer. He then ran his right hand across it, which broadcasted a holo-image before his mask's eyeshields; which seemingly appeared to be, garbled alien writing and schematics of the aliens ship. His fingers begun typing on the small keypad built into the device

He looked up at the telescopic-device and suddenly heard it whirr. He then turned his attention back to his computer and jabbed his big finger down on one of the buttons. Immediately alien digits counting down appeared on his mask's Heads-Up Display, relegating itself to the upper left side of the screen.

**This should be enough time to get clear. And the blast will only turn this entire hill into a crater and not the whole city. Hopefully…**

He then looked towards the passageway where the two ooman teenagers had run down. He then sighed, his exhale of air impeded by his mask.

**I should make sure those guys are running in the right direction.**

The Hunter suddenly froze when he felt the floor rumbled slightly and the sound of faint, tortured bestial wailing assaulted his ears.

**Damn! She's awake!**

He drew his nodachi and stared at the blade, contemplating it quietly.

**This could slice through her easy, but I wouldn't stay alive long against her to get close enough to strike!**

The Hunter sheathed the large sword and stood back up. He then pushed another button on his wrist-device and he immediately cloaked, becoming translucent as he ran towards the door, following after Toji and Kensuke. All this time the scurrying and shrieking of the serpents increasing and becoming more frantic, possibly knowing what fate was in store for them soon enough.

**I'll have to let Mother know she's awake. She'll be happy about this, I know she will.**

(SSJNYH)

Misato had her arms crossed impatiently as she sat against the steel wall in the cabin area of the truck as she, the science team in their protective suits and the security detachment assigned to them drove upward to the surface from the GeoFront. Ritsuko was in the next room with the science-team, preparing themselves for entering that…horseshoe.

The captain nervously tapped her fingers on her elbows as she her mind kept drifting back to the nightmare she woke up from. It had to have been aliens that picked her up from the raging, antarctic seas fifteen years ago and not some twisted dream she found herself in after she passed out from witnessing the Second Impact up close.

**Funny, if was only a dream then I've being having it for the past fifteen years. And it seemed so real.**

"I don't believe this!"

Misato's head shot up when Ritsuko stepped into the cabin, appearing flustered.

"What's up?" Misato asked.

Ritsuko rubbed her temples, "We intercepted transmissions going back and forth between Canna and JSSDF High Command. They are preparing to breach the alien craft."

**I knew it.**

"What?!" Misato stood up in a hurry, angry. "But we…"

"Someone, or some_thing,_ just breached the JSSDF's barriers and made a beeline towards the craft."

Misato eyes widened, "_Something_? Any casualties?"

Ritsuko shook her head, "None, if you count a APC gunner receiving a concussion."

The doctor then sat down opposite Misato, forehead in her left palm. Her behaviour understandably confused Misato.

She dared asked, "This bothers you that much, Rits?"

"Excuse me, then," came Ritsuko's flat response. "Another of humanity's great finds has just been run over by the Japanese war machine and I can't help but feel a little disturbed by it."

Misato was coy, "Since when did you care about anything other then the EVA?"

"Anyway…"

She checked her watch.

"…if you're finished prying into my interests let's just get down there and try and salvage whatever is left of the situation."

Misato nodded and stepped out of the cabin area towards the driver section of the truck. They had just reached the surface and currently emerging out of one of the various vehicle-entry/exit tunnels leading towards the GeoFront. Natural light from the moon and the stars greeted them as they drove onto one of the main roads of Tokyo-03.

"Alright, let's just get down there as quick as possible," Mistao said. "And hope the military doesn't start shooting at us."

"Yes ma'am," the driver acknowledged, unsure.

(SSJNYH)

"Look, up ahead! Home free!"

"Light! Glorious light! Don' giv a flyin' crap where it comes from, heh!"

Both teens laughed and couldn't keep a smirk off their faces when they found themselves running down the same passage towards the crack that led them into the crashed horseshoe of an alien craft. Their happiness didn't last, however, when they noticed the large detachment of JSSDF waiting at the base of the hill, guns pointing upward.

Smile faded from his face, Toji asked, "Uh…Ken?"

"Yeah?"

"Da JSSDF don't really shoot civvies, don't dey?"

An explosion courtesy of an artillery shell struck the side of the craft, tearing a hole right in it. The concussion caused them to stumble forward.

"Da hell are dey doing?!" Toji demanded frantically. "Doze' things are still in de're! De're gonna let' em out!"

"Yeah!" Kensuke replied as he grabbed hold of Toji's jumper. "And they don't know that!"

**Fuckin' typical army men!**

"Let's just git' down there, a'right!"

And so they made their way down towards the hill, only to stop when bullet struck the ground near their feet. Kensuke shrieked and Toji gritted his teeth when he noticed the flash from a soldier's rifle aim at him from the barricades.

**Dey aimin' de're guns at us?**

**DEY AIMIN' DE'RE FREAKIN' GUNS AT US?!**

(SSJNYH)

"Sir! I've spotted two civilians coming down the hill?"

"What?" Canna barked angrily. "Civvies?"

"Yes, sir," the soldier put down his rifle and pointed at Toji and Kensuke. Canna browsed through his binoculars at the two teenagers, the both of them with their arms up with pleading faces.

Canna frowned, "You know what the manual says regarding civilians coming in close contact with mission-sensitive objectives?"

The soldier was alarmed, "Yes, s-sir."

"Then get on with it?"

"Sir."

The soldier hesitantly raised his rifle and looked through the scope. Through the scope's dot sight he aimed first at the bespectacled boy's forehead, intent on making his death quick. He closed hie eyes, not wanting a teenage boy's corpse with his hollowed-out head burned into his brain , then quickly muttered as short prayer to himself.

"Forgive me for this."

The last thing he heard was the sound of glass cracking, something piercing his right eyelid, then silence.

"FUCKING HELL!"

Another soldier screamed when he saw his comrade topple over with a spear-like projectile through his eye and the scope of his rifle, alarming Canna and every other military personnel present.

Canna drew his Glock 17, the rest of the platoon grabbed their rifles and activated their night-vision goggles and looked everywhere for the their attacker. They saw the two teenagers still standing on the hill with their hand upward in surrender.

"Eyes open!" the major exclaimed. "I'm going to draw him out! Be ready!"

He then raised his pistol at the teenager, sticking his tongue out as he concentrated his aim, remembering how much live target practise he got during Valentine's Day many years ago. It was covert, it was night time and here was only him, his commanding officer and about a dozen Korean civilians standing before a specially dug ditch.

'Good times,' he thought pleasantly.

Before he could pull the trigger and his troopers would locate the sniper and they would immediately fire all ground weapon armaments at his location, Kanna's APC suddenly exploded, sending JSSDF soldiers and pieces of JSSDF soldiers flying all about. Other were set on fire and quickly threw themselves on the ground in an attempt to put themselves out, other just ran about comically until the flames burnt them to a crisp.

Canna however was knocked flat on his stomach, his face in the dirt.

(SSJNYH)

"Shit!" Kensuke exclaimed as they saw the explosion and the way it tore a hole in the JSSDF barricade. "Did you see tha…?"

He was interrupted when Toji grabbed him by the hand.

"We're getting' outta ere'! He's givin' us a chance!"

"What?! Shouldn't we wait here…"

"And git' shot? Let's go already!"

They ran downhill and towards the burning APC wreckage, passing by the burning corpses of the soldiers. Kensuke and Toji immediately felt sick as they made their way, raising their arms to cover their faces from the head and glare generated by the flame. They then resumed running, hoping that they would disappear into the night and away from the JSSDF.

But then…

"HOLD IT!"

They both froze and were terrified once again when a wounded, burnt JSSDF soldier hobbled towards them, assault rifle pointed at them. Toji spun around and was awarded with a few bullets hitting the ground courtesy of the painstricken soldier.

"Hey…HEY!" Toji cried, hands raised in the air. "We ain't got nuthin' ta do with dis!"

Concussed, the soldier sounded delirious replied shakily with a smile, "S-sorry, kid…following o-orders…don't blame me…"

Kensuke's petrified eyes glanced at the figure materialising behind the soldier as he put his hands up. The soldier tracked the movement of his eyes and spun around, but was too late to act as the Hunter's sword slashed him upward from his waist, into his chest and out through his collar bone, spraying blood upwards reminiscent of some chanbara samurai film.

That crimson rain landed on Toji, who reflexively closed his eyes as it sprayed on his face. He couldn't stop his tongue from darting out and licking the blood that inched next to his mouth. His eyes widened as the spray stopped and the soldier gave a small hiccup and fell to his knees before the Hunter. The Hunter's hood had been pulled back to reveal a steel mask over his face and short, yet wild-looking and spiky black hair that had two golden ringlets in it – one at the front-left side of his head and one at the back-right side.

The soldier's rapidly fading eyes looked at the creature that had just slain him and choked out, "A-a…samurai…?"

The Hunter stepped to the side and allowed the JSSDF grunt to collapse forward onto the ground, and to lie in a rapidly forming pool of his own blood. The Hunter was heard to sigh as he lifted his nodachi and rested it across his shoulder, taking the moment to relax for a bit before the rest of the soldiers recuperated and engaged him.

**Guess this is unavoidable after all….**

(SSJNYH)

The massive, spherical chamber in the lowest part of the ship was divided into eight quarters by small walls lining towards the hexagonal platform in the centre. In each of the quarters lies hundreds of eggs, and propped up on the platform was the massive entity. Chained in place by constraints from the walls and ceiling it was easily three times the size of a normal serpent, about fifteen feet tall, it's forehead was pronounced and below it's waist was a large ovipositor – something to lay the eggs that it surrounded itself with.

She was a Queen, an Empress, a mother…a mother that was mourning the deaths of her children at the hands of the Hunter. It hissed intensely as it struggled against her bounds, before roaring intensely as she recognised the beeping coming from several floors above, knowing that it meant the demise of all our children that were still within the walls of the ship.

Enraged she forced herself against her chains, tearing at them until they were ripped from the walls and the ceiling. She then painfully detached herself from the ovipositor, and roared again, shaking the walls of the ship with her anger and grief.

She then jumped from the platform, almost shattering it by the force of her leap, and made her way towards one of the exits. Her need to reproduce was quickly overridden by her need for revenge for the children she already lost.


	6. Chapter 5: Battle Cry

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

* * *

Chapter 5 – Battle Cry

Hearts beating painfully against their chests and covered in bright red arterial blood Toji and Kensuke were now running towards the city limits, leaving behind them the carnage that the Hunter was now single-handedly unleashing upon the JSSDF. The VTOLs above ignored them and redirected their flight paths towards the burning APC a few yards behind them.

"Did ya'…?"

"YEH I DID!" Toji shouted. "JUS' KEEP RUNNIN' FER GOD'S SAKE!"

Toji then suddenly thought about how he was going to explain this to his father and his sister. Glancing at Kensuke, he guessed his compatriot wasn't sharing the same thoughts. He didn't blame him.

As soon as they reached the closest bus stop within the city limits they stopped to catch their breathes.

"Huff….hey…Ken?"

"Yeah?"

"Ya' dad home?"

"Uh…Yeah!"

Toji grimaced in disappoint. He then sighed, "Aw screw it, let's jus' jump in some reservoir an' git cleaned up that way, a'right?"

"A…alright," Kensuke replied, completely unsure of how they were going to explain their late, soaking-wet selves to their fathers, or why the city's water supply will possibly end up tasting like blood.

There was a few brief seconds of quiet, that was then followed by a massive eardrum bursting sound of a controlled explosion which tore up the insides of the crashed UFO, the flames lighting up every darkened passage and corridor and consuming ever serpent, egg and facehugger within it. Their squeals quickly were abruptly silenced as they were incinerated, leaving no trace of their existence, not even ash.

The JSSDF around the hill watched as the outer hull collapsed on itself as jets of flame burst upwards, generating a shockwave, which spread across the city and shattered nearly every window, threw tons of dust into the air and generally caused even more panic throughout the city. Major Kanna had picked himself up from the ground, only to be thrown back onto it and promptly breaking his nose.

"Ah…goddammit!"

And Toji and Kensuke dove for cover once again, dropping to the ground and covering their heads.

"AH…MAKE IT STOP ALREADY!" Toji practically screamed in frustration. "DIS' IS PISSIN' ME RIGHT OFF!"

(SSJNYH)

The NERV convoy slammed on the breaks as broken glass shattered into many more pieces onto the roof as they fell from the windows of the buildings they were passing by. Misato glanced at the main viewscreen situated in the cabin area of the truck and saw the satellite image of the UFO's destruction at the top of the hill and the burning remains of one of the JSSDF's Armoured Personnel Carriers.

"Hey, what the hell's this?" Misato demanded. "Report!"

"The entire point of impact has been completely destroyed, ma'am!" the nearest computer tech exclaimed. "Prior to explosion no heat or electrical signatures, no indication whatsover."

"Status of JSSDF troops stationed at base of hill?"

"Northern sector of JSSDF encirclement are reporting casualties – five dead and about six injured"

"What? How?"

"Unknown, ma'am."

Misato reached for the nearest phone and shouted, "Patch me through to Kanna, now?"

"Captain," Maya said, checking her monitor. "Our communications are being jammed. Probably background interference generated from the explosion.

Misato put the receiver down in disbelief, not believing her predicament: Things going wrong the first week on the job.

I'd say this beats the hell out of the first week at the research centre where they picked at Pen-Pen's brain. City-shaking explosions beats rabid psycho intelligent penguin rejects any day.

She sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Guess we can't contact headquarters, right?"

"No ma'am?"

"Great."

She then turned to Ritsuko who was sitting down near the cabin door, who appeared agitated at the current situation.

"What do you want to do, Akagi?"

She looked back at the captain, "Pardon me, captain?

"I imagine the science team didn't want to get suited up for nothing. Do we keep going towards the crash site or head back to HQ?"

Ritsuko was interrupted from speaking when Maya's computer buzzed loudly.

"What is it?" Misato said, walking towards the lieutenant and her monitor.

"Unknown personnel detected moving away from the impact site. It's heading towards the industrial sector and on foot," Maya explained as she typed furiously at her machine, her monitor displaying a birds-eye view of the city and

"Unknown how?" Ritsuko asked. "City registration can't identify him?"

"No ma'am. The system recognises human, but can't bring up any relevant files. It's like he's a ghost."

Misato and Ritsuko stared at one another intently. Misato narrowed her eyes and stepped up to the cabin door.

She banged her fist on it, "Let's get going, already!"

(SSJNYH)

Sub-Commander Kouzou Fuyutsuki, age sixty-four and standing tall in uniform next to Commander Ikari as he sat behind his desk in his office, resting his shoulders on the desk with his fingers crossed together under his chin. The main office was a peculiar, dark circular room, which inscribed on the floor and roof was the supposed Tree of God, and with a view of the green fields and waters of the Geo-Front. Fuyutsuki regarded him briefly, long used to Gendo's emotionless demeanour.

"Everything has gone dark, Ikari," Fuyutsuki said. "The destruction caused by the UFO has knocked out all communications. For now we cannot raise the surface or the science team."

"Was any meaningful data from the crash-site collected by the JSSDF's attempted advance just before the blackout?" Gendo intoned.

"'Attempted' is the word, Ikari," Fuyutsuki replied. "There's nothing whatsoever."

"That would have to be expected," Gendo stated ominously. "The forces that had constructed that ship that somehow drove itself to our world would take care to protect it's secrets."

"So sending Dr. Akagi and Captain Katsuragi was a waste of time, then?" Fuyutsuki questioned.

"No," Gendo moved a bit to glance upward at the sub-commander. "They will draw _whomever_ it is that they sent here to make sure we must not know of the galaxy's darkest secrets."

Fuyutsuki smiled lightly, "You had planned for this, then?"

"I had not planned for anything apart from the Angels," Gendo explained. "I only imagined what I should do if a formerly ludicrous event such as this were to occur."

"You thought about what to do in case of an alien invasion?"

"I would say the concept itself is ludicrous, but these events unfolding before us prove otherwise."

The older man's smile faded, "You said that Akagi and Katsuragi were your contingency?"

Gendo frowned, "Our new Operations Director could do with some field experience. I can foresee that she will be spending much of her assignment barking orders from behind a screen."

"That bothers you?"

"No. She could benefit from the experience, though."

"What about Akagi? What good is there risking our head of Science and Engineering?"

Gendo did not answer that.

"Ikari?"

Fuyutsuki decided to bring something else up.

"The Committee will want to know about all this as soon as possible. Near destruction of Tokyo-03 would be not be beneath their attention."

"There's no harm in letting them know that the UFO is no longer anyone's concern."

"What about _whomever_ made sure of that?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"We will see how these current events affect the Scenario. Then we deal with _whomever_ he is."

'He?' Fuyutsuki thought, puzzled.

He was sure that Gendo knew more than he let on.

(SSJNYH)

The Hunter was breathing in and out at a rapid rate, not remembering the last time he had to run so fast and practically push himself to his absolute limit. Surely enough he slowed down and allowed himself to rest. He was impressed with himself that he made managed to give the ooman soldiers the slip, and now he was leaning against the wall of one of alleyway's industrial sector's structures, hidden in the shadows as the moon cast it's light upon the city.

He remembered what he held in his hand, something that he picked up while manoeuvring down the hill to safety: A ooman recorder device. He stared at curiously, before glancing at the door leading into the building. He drew his sword and sliced the lock off it before moving his hand toward the knob and turning it, giving him entry.

Activating his inferred vision mode he traversed the darkness, walking down the hallway; the only sounds being heard were his breathing behind his mask and his footsteps. He noticed another door and opened it, allowing rats to scamper out. He didn't react, instead just letting them pass over his feet. He then stepped into the small room.

Looking around he saw that the room was fall of ooman boxes, tools and chemicals - a storeroom. He then closed the door behind himself and sat down in the corner, sighing in relief. He observed the recorder device, running his fingers across it and playing with the numerous buttons built into the side. His finger glided over a triangular shaped button and immediately a small screen popped out the side and started playing.

Yo, get dat ting' outta my face.

_Aw come on Toji, you can tell me._

The Hunter watched the screen as it focused on that built ooman boy he encountered and saved today sitting behind a desk leaning back with his hands behind his head, egged on by the voice of the spectacle-wearing kid presumably holding the camera.

Toji looked at the screen with an annoyed look, _Didn't ya jus' hear me?_

_Not until you tell me what you think of her?_

_Who?_

The screen was in sudden motion, before it zoomed in on the back of a teenage girl with teal-coloured hair set in pigtails talking another couple of girls.

_What? 'Bout da' class rep?_

Sure am.

Besides bein' a pretentious square? Nuthin' at all.

_What was that, Suzuhara?!_

Toji cringed briefly before shouting at the girl off screen,_ Nuthin' ya need ta hear again!_

Oh boy, Kensuke muttered softly.

The camera swerved back to reveal the aggressive look of the freckle-faced pig-tailed girl in the dress.

_Grrr…are you calling me names again?_

Don't ya' know it.

The Hunter chuckled, amused by the recorded behaviour of these oomans, all of whom were so innocent. His fingers continued examining the device until he came across a double-triangle symbol and it suddenly fast-forwarded.

The screen now revealed that it was night-time, and the device was propped up and pointed at the boys now standing before a telescope…

_Seriously Ken I'm startin' to freeze my ass off!_

_Just a couple more minutes. I'm sure it'll turn up soon._

_Fine! A hundred an' twenty more seconds and then we're headin' somewhere warm. Got it?_

The Hunter's wrist computer beeped and he folded the screen back into the recorder. He then skimmed his right hand over his computer and it immediately brought up a holographic image of the industrial sector. It displayed two beeping red dots, both of them approaching his current position from both sides. The largest of the dots was approaching from where the UFO crash site used to be.

He immediately stood up and kicked open the door into the storeroom, tossing the recorder aside as he felt his killer instinct kick itself into overdrive. Fingers itchy to grip the hilt of his sword he stepped out of his temporary sanctuary and back into the fray.

(SSJNYH)

Armed men in protective hazardous material suits walked opposite both sides of the truck as they approached the abandoned building that housed the wayward Hunter. The truck halted and the guards cocked their guns.

Inside Misato looked worried at the sight of those guns.

"Is it really necessary?"

"What's that?" Ritsuko asked.

"The hardware we're carrying. I mean whatever just destroyed the UFO was probably just trying to keep us from going inside and unleashing something bad," Misato explained. "And the system recognises him as human."

Ritsuko gave her a bemused look, "Try telling that to the grunts he just sliced through."

"They'd probably shoot me." Misato drawled.

"The Commander only wants the Angels to be a visible threat and not…whatever's out there. If we encounter whatever out there and it will no cooperate with NERV then we will deal with it."

Misato glanced at Ritsuko and her sudden cold demeanour. That was the _one_ thing she couldn't stand about her, that sometimes she could be that professional that she didn't care about anything else; mainly ethics, morality or how _it_ feels from the other end, figuratively speaking.

The hazmat personnel outside scanned the area they were in, their Heads Up Display's not detecting any traces of the target their sensors had previously locked on. It's last known location was the abandoned structure they had stopped in front of and was now standing there awaiting orders, glancing uncertain at one another.

_Proceed inside, _came Misato's response. _Keep in radio contact and see if he can be taken down without the use of lead._

"Yes, ma'am. Squad 1, front entrance. Squad 2, the alley next to it. Enter from there.

"Roger that."

The hazmats approached the building, one team of five approaching the front while another team went towards the door located in the side alley to the right. They discovered garbage and other assorted junk, mostly metal and chemical, was blocking the alleyway, prompting one of the hazmats to sigh exasperatedly.

"Fucking litterbugs," he was heard to mutter. He then said, "Ah…alright everyone grab a piece of this crap and put to the side…"

Suddenly a massive force smashed it's through the blockage, impaling one guard through the chest with it's massive barbed tail and sending the rest flying. The guard's radio broadcasted screams pierced the eardrums of his colleagues and within the truck before he disappeared into the black. One final scream was heard before a loud crunch, splatter, then silence.

The guard's torso was then hurled out onto the street and landed before the other hazmats, before the nightmare creature emerged out of the alley. It stood there breathing harshly before the quaking armed men before it then hissed at them intimidating. In the truck NERV technicians all froze in their chairs as they stared at the small view screen and the giant monster that was slowly advancing towards them as well. Misato's and Ritsuko's mouths were agape, with Misato gripping her cross pendent tightly as they displayed fear at the creature not from their world.

"H-how'd we miss _that_?" Misato stuttered. "I thought we detected something human-sized!"

"I don't know," Ritsuko cried as she reached for the phone. "Damn, it's still out!"

She subconsciously gripped the receiver tightly enough to almost crack it as the creature wailed out loud and causing Maya to gasp out loudly as she jumped from her seat and fell on the floor.

The armed NERV personnel immediately opened fire on the giant xeno. She charged them, immediately impaling one guard with her tail then tossing the screaming guard over her shoulder, where he splattered on the ground in a puddle of blood and entrails. That bloody spectacle gripped the other guards with even more fear, causing them to waver.

The Queen roared and charged, ramming herself against the truck. Misato, Ritsuko, Maya and all personnel suddenly reached for something to grab hold off.

"Oh hell!" Misato exclaimed. "Everyone grab hold of…WHAAAAA!"

The Queen shrieked even louder as she tipped the van over, scattering equipment and causing people to fall over on top of one another and inflicting some injury, especially when a computer monitor made impact with Ritsuko's head, knocking her out and eliciting alarm from Maya. The Queen then roared and proceeded to massacre the remaining guards still outside the NERV vehicles, ripping them to shreds while shrugging off their small-arms fire.

All this time the Hunter watched from up top one of the numerous industrial silos that were located around the district. Switching vision modes and alternating between seeing the electromagnetic outline of the Queen rip apart the infra-red outlines of the humans, he was content in letting the Queen have her way with the humans before bombarding the Queen from above with every ranged and projectile weapon he had strapped to his person.

I'd help, but the Elder would kill me if the oomans didn't first. Can't risk oomans getting their hands on me and my tech; that would make them destroy their own planet and deprive our pups of the hunt.  
The Elder was very specific when he said all of that to the Unbloods, including me.

He frowned behind his mask.

**Mother said different, though. She always talked about not turning away from helping those in need, no matter the cost. But these oomans, armed and worth shoving a blade through their chest don't look like the type I should lend a hand to.**

**Is there really any point in intervening…saving these people? One way or another they're all going to die anyway.**

He watched the back of the truck burst open, obviously an emergency door, where he switched to his mask's 'normal' vision mode to see a young, brown-haired woman in a form-fitting uniform and skirt crawl out from the truck.

The Hunter zoomed in on her felt his eyes lit up behind his mask at the sight of the mousy-looking technician.

**Whoa…she's very nice looking.**

He could hear her distorted shouting as she reached in and dragged out an unconscious blonde-haired woman with a mole on her face and dressed in a lab coat.

**So is she. She's got a good figure. But her hair, something's really…fake about it.**

Some more unimpressively looking science and armed personnel, mostly male, crawled out as well. Most of them freaked out at the sight of the Queen being held back by the guards and the Hunter himself was unimpressed by them.

**I think I would've freaked out if I were them…eight years ago. Now, the serpents don't scare me at all.**

He then noticed a purple-haired woman in red uniform finally crawl out.

H…her?

The Hunter swore his heart stopped beating for a second upon zooming in for a closer look at quite possibly the most beautiful looking human female he had ever seen. Despite not seeing many human women in his lifetime he doubted anyone else looked as beautiful or even determined as she did. That determination he saw on her face as she dragged another human to safety, before gawking at the Queen and noticing that it was looking at her too.

The Hunter decided to spring into action…

**Risking my life, my honour, the technology and weaponry I've got strapped to myself…I know I won't regret this…**

(SSJNYH)

It's…a monster!

**A demon!  
**

**A creature from hell!**

**A bad special effect from some B grade film!**

**Whatever the hell it is…it's looking my way…!**

Misato felt herself frozen in place as the giant, black serpent-like creature looked her way as it tore through the rest of the security escort that had been outside the trucks when it struck. The captain was dulled to the screaming of the guards as their entrails and torsos were flung all over the place, splattering the whole street in red gore.

…**it's staring at me!**

"C…captain," Maya said, frightfully. "What…?"

The Queen roared and charged towards her. Misato quickly reached for her H&K USP, then noticed a tri-laser beam emit from the top of a nearby silo and from a translucent humanoid outline. Misato's mouth was agape a bit as the humanoid's eye flashed yellow, before suddenly it fired a burst of blue plasma that hurtled towards the Queen.

The Queen spun around to face the humanoid and received the plasma blast to the head, causing it to wail in agony. The humanoid then leapt off the silo just as the Queen charged towards it and begun tearing into it, sending debris and steel flying everywhere causing it to collapse. The Hunter plummeted towards the Queen and landed on her head, before leaping off it just as the debris came down upon her. Breathing harshly, the Hunter's cloaking device deactivated, before it shrouded him once again as he dove between two buildings and disappearing.

Misato saw the unshrouded Hunter…

'Is that…some kid dressed like a samurai crossed with a stripper?' she thought bewilderedly, taking note of his bizarre, exotic-looking attire – leather armour completed with fishnet. "That sword…?"

The Queen suddenly emerged from the silo rubble and roared, her pained cry echoing throughout the city. Misato gritted her teeth and turned to the NERV staff, who just stood there horrified.

"The hell are you doing standing there for? Let's move for god's sake!"

She then turned back towards the teenager, who suddenly cloaked as he drew his nodachi off his back and run almost wildly the Queen. Misato watched amazed as the two combatant charged one another and the translucent outline of a teenager swung his sword and slashed at the Queen, wounding her forearms and spilling acidic blood.

The Queen squealed before launching forward and headbutting the Hunter, knocking him down. She then reached over and grabbed him by the throat, then hurled him…

"WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

…screaming towards another silo opposite the wreckage of the previous one. Misato watched, seemingly helpless, as the two off-world entities clashed.

"CAPTAIN!"

Misato jumped as she felt Maya's hand grasp her shoulder.

"W-what is it?"

"We need to get out of here, remember?" Maya cried. "I need help moving Dr. Akagi?"

They both cringed as saw the Queen advance upon the downed Hunter, sitting on the ground awkwardly against the silo. Rubbing the side of his head the Hunter looked up…

(SSJNYH)

…to see his prey advancing upon him slowly.

He growled lightly, but still remained motionless and allowing the Queen to come closer.

'Come closer…you Kainde Amedha pauk,' he thought.

He then glanced out the corner of his eye the ooman females standing some distance, watching as the Queen advanced upon him. He then back ahead to see the Queen's face inches away from his, and opening her mouth and her inner set of jaws coming to life. He then sprung to life, engaging with another close-combat oriented weapon…

His wrist-blade which projected from the device built into his left hand.

"Pauk'de!" he exclaimed angrily at the Queen and drove the blade into the left side of her head. "PAUK'DE HAC'NIKT!"

She screamed out loud and the Hunter dove out of the way, reaching for another one of his weapons – a sharp looking rhombus shaped projectile, and hurled it at one of the silo's supports. He then begun to run as fast he can just as the Queen recuperated and roared once again.

The rhombus exploded, burning away at the Queen who squealed louder then ever and brought the silo down upon her, burying her once again in rubble. The force of the explosion threw the Hunter into the air and he landed painfully on the asphalt. The Hunter groaned painfully from behind his mask as he tried to get back up, but ended up falling back down.

Misato looked up from behind the truck where she and some others had dove for cover.

(SSJNYH)

She could not believe what she just saw.

**That kid…what the **_**hell**_** is he? Some kind of samurai-ninja combo from outer space? **

**Whatever the hell works, he's going to be answering some really important questions soon enough. One way or another, I'm going to find out what the hell is going on in this city!**

"Did he just collapse an entire silo on that thing?" one of the NERV guards cried.

"Is it dead?" another asked.

Misato shook her head, ignoring those panicked queries. "Let's move."

"Move?" Maya questioned. "Move where?"

"Out!" Misato exclaimed. "You can get Dr. Akagi to safety, right?"

"Y-yes," Maya stuttered. "Yes ma'am."

Everyone then scrambled, immediately tending to one another or each other's wound. Misato then ran towards the Hunter, followed by a hazmat-suit wearing guard.

"Go help everyone else, alright?" Misato addressed him.

The NERV guard nodded and ran off, leaving Misato alone with the Hunter. She stared intently at the masked teenager, listening to him faintly breathe behind it. Misato bit her lip gently as she contemplated her next move towards him.

Should I…?What if this kid really is an alien and the atmosphere could…? No, that's just STUPID!

She placed her hands on either side of his mask, feeling several cords connected into the side of it and presumably holding the mask to his face. She reached for them and pulled them off, a hissing sound followed by oxygen blasting outward and startling Misato. She then gently undid the reset of the cords, then lifted the mask off his face.

She instinctively closed her eyes and removed it, in case what she saw made gave her something worse than nightmares. Listening to the Hunter's fate breathing, however, compelled her to open her eyes and gaze upon his face.

"Oh…"

Misato's face softened when she saw that he looked human, Japanese and not to mention adolescent. He had two matching scars on both cheeks; with that combined with his spiky hair and the rings in his hair his appearance to Misato that he was from somewhere else that definitely not from Earth, and whose sole purpose was to be a warrior. And a totally inhuman warrior as well.

'God…' Misato thought sadly as she reached forward and traced the scar on his left cheek delicately with her left point finger. 'He just saved us? He just took on the big monster and won? A kid, a goddamn child just saved us…?'

The boy's eyelids quivered as he felt the warmth of Misato's palm on his cheek. His eyes slowly opened, revealing to him the face of the same beautiful human female he had just seen. Misato was taken back slightly, before being unable to keep a smile from her face as the brown colour eyed Hunter, who had just single-handedly fought off the most terrifying monster anyone could ever see to save her, regained consciousness.

The Hunter left hand rapidly move to grasp Misato's (and startling her once again) and she felt how callused his own palm felt as he squeezed it.

He feels…rough.

She saw him turn red and look away briefly in embarrassment, drawing a perplexed look from the purple-haired woman.

Whoa…did he just blush?

He looked back at her and into her eyes, he moved his lips to try and speak, despite having a bad concussion.

"Yes?" Misato smile faded.

"Th-there's… remember…word…"

"Yeah."

"Y-y…you…" the Hunter suddenly begun gritting his teeth as he tried to get up, braving the effects of his injuries.

"It's ok," Misato said urgently placed her hands on his shoulder, trying to keep him lying down. "You don't have to say anything else. We'll get you somewhere where you can get help, I promise."

"M-MO!"

Misato gasped when both his hands grasped her wrists and gripped them tight, startling her.

"R-run!" the Hunter hissed up at her as he grabbed his mask and put it back over his face. "Run…now!"

Another pained roar later the Queen once again emerged from the rubble, scattering pieces of debris everywhere. The NERV personnel all dove for cover. Misato instinctively threw herself over the Hunter in a protective manner, startling him. Misato closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as a piece of steel embedded itself into her shoulder, her pained moan assaulting the Hunter's ears.

"Kainde Amedha!" the Hunter exclaimed as he panicked and gently pushed her off himself. He then got up on his feet, wobbling slightly as she adjusted his mask. "Kainde Amedha!"

"Wha…what?" Misato cried.

The Hunter pointed towards the Queen as it stood there and roared, causing the NERV personnel to scream in fright and immediately resume fire upon on it. It then charged, grabbing one NERV guard and messily ripping him in half, the torso still screaming as the innards slithered out of both ends. Tossing both pieces of still-alive aside it charged towards the main vehicle, swatting personnel aside and splattering blood all over.

"RITSUKO! MAYA!" Misato screamed when she saw that the Queen was gunning for the scientist and her assistant.

Maya gasped as she tried harder to rouse Ritsuko, "S…SEMPAI!"

She then looked back at the charging Queen and screamed. Just as Misato went to grab her sidearm the Queen was struck by four small shruiken, causing it to stop in it's tracks and raised it's in pain. Misato looked behind her to see the Hunter, looking determined as he held three retracted shuriken between the fingers of his left hand.

"Hey."

The Hunter growled and flicked his left rest, causing the shuriken's blades to extend. He then hurled them at the Queen, who growled and swung her left arm, catching all three that embedded themselves in it. Maya helped Ritsuko up onto her feet and quickly rushed her away from the truck.

"Lieutenant!" Misato shouted at Maya, who glanced back, panicked enough. "Get everyone away from here, now!"

Maya nodded, and the remaining surviving NERV personnel ran away quickly enough from the street and into the industrial structures.

Misato stared at the Hunter in disbelief, seeing him stand his ground.

This kid has a damn arsenal lining his pockets, and it's barely slowing that thing down. I hope he suddenly remembers he's got something that could flash fry this bug instantaneously…and not everyone else as well. God, I hope he …damn, I think I got something in my back…

She was interrupted from her thought by searing pain when the Hunter grabbed hold of the piece of steel lodged in the back of her shoulder and pulled it out, causing her to blacken out for a few seconds before staggering backwards. The Hunter seemed to disregard her and the serpent Queen for a few second, instead concentrating on the bloodied steel he held in his left hand.

"Hey!" Misato exclaimed angrily, hand over the wound to stem the bleeding.

The Hunter looked over at her.

"That hurt, you know!"

The Hunter's eyes widened, before looking apologetic. He spun around to see the Queen recovering from her brief episode with the shuriken. The Hunter turned his back on Misato and begun walking towards the Queen. They then begun to encircle one another, the Hunter smiling a bit, his left hand shaking slightly as if with eagerness.

Misato's eyes widened saw the Hunter's smile fade, replaced with a look of discontent. He then grit his teeth, left hand slowly reaching for the handle of his sword. The Queen reared it's ugly head towards him, before charging down the empty street towards him. Misato raised her pistol, planning to empty what was left of it's clip and hope to hit somewhere vulnerable.

Before she could, however, the Queen unleashed a loud shriek. The Hunter opened his mouth and returned with a guttural battle cry; as loud, ferocious and intimidating as his young, human vocal cords could manage. It may not have the desired effect on the Queen but it made Misato, Maya and some of the other NERV personnel almost jump out of their skins.

"Hey kid, wait!"

The Hunter then suddenly ran in the opposite direction as fast he could, the Queen immediately in pursuit of him. Misato watched in surprise.

'Shit, is he trying to draw that monster off?'

She then looked at the direction where the NERV staff were escaping and immediately thought of joining up with them. But then she looked where the Hunter had run and the snarling serpent Queen quickly pursued, making it completely ignore the captain and allowing her to escape.

Gripping her pistol tightly, Misato ran in the direction of the aliens.

I'm insane…

(SSJNYH)

"How's Dr. Akagi?"

"She'll be fine, lieutenant. Just a concussion, nothing serious."

After putting some distance between themselves and the conflict zone the NERV personnel stopped to catch their breaths, immediately tending to their wounded. Maya propped Ritsuko against the wall in an alleyway and left her with one of the medically trained NERV staff.

"God, did anyone else see that?" one of the guards cried. "That kid took down that monster by himself."

"Yeah, and got his ass handed right back at him."

Maya gazed over where they had had been running from and bit her lip.

'Captain.'

She then thought of whomever it was that had just saved them.

'Don't get yourself killed.'

(SSJNYH)

A glass of scotch-on-the-rocks in his right hand, the slicked black-haired young quintessential gentleman in his mid-twenties watched the satellite imagery of the action from his personal view-screen built into his desk within his office. At the bottom left-hand side of the screen it said: **SATELLITE ONE-WEYLAND CORPORATION** and the other side stated **RECORDING.**

Taking a sip from his glass, he was impressed with what he was seeing. His desk phone situated at the left hand side rang and he reached for it.

"Mr. Weyland speaking," he spoke into the receiver.

Tell me you're watching the satellite right now.

"Ms. Yutani," the young man known as Weyland smiled, his British accent defining his nationality. "As a matter of fact I am."

I trust we'll be able to complete our corporations' merge by the end of the week. I suspect recent events will force our timetable to be slightly adjusted.

"No denying that."

Are you sure we **have** to involve Ikari?

Weyland shook his head, "I see no other way. All this is unfolding on his turf and we're going to have to somewhat grovel to him in order to get what we need."

So long as we keep his input to a minimal we can keep our operations out of his reach. God knows what he could do if he and the old men backing him assumed control of the companies.

"Absolutely nothing if I anything to say about it," Weyland replied firmly. "The man's a joke, no matter how brilliant or dangerous he is. That debacle at GEHIRN proves it…God rest _her_ soul."

So once NERV has control of the alien we'll quickly step in and…liberate it from them.

"Discreetly…in time. You think you'll be able to keep up, Ms. Yutani?"

I look forward to it, Mr. Weyland.

(SSJNYH)

The Hunter didn't need to look over his shoulder to see that the Kainde Amedha was pursuing him, having activating his cloaking field, ducking into an alleyway which led to another street; knowing that the Kainde Amedha could still see him, but at least the oomans couldn't. He could feel the vibrations in the ground as her feet made contact with the ground before lifting themselves off, her shrieking assaulting his ears and that sense of darkness that one can easily detect when being pursued something so evil.

**I'm so stupid!** **Exposing myself and risking myself to save those oomans. Since when did I ever concern myself with my former kinsmen? Or…at least that purple-haired female…**

**Her…**

He couldn't keep a smile off his face as he thought of that raven-haired woman in red whom the Hunter saw was ready to fight the Queen, but he beat her to the punch. He quickly recalled the first thing he saw when he regained consciousness was her assuring, dazzling smile…

He blushed…

Sy'ua …

Before he heard another shriek and his smiled faded as he turned around to fight his pursuer, nodachi in hand…and seeing nothing but an empty street. He quickly activated his EM Field Detector, bathing his vision in neon green, and quickly scanned for the Kainde Amedha. One loud crash of rubble later and the Queen had smashed through one of the industrial structure, scattering pieces of steel everywhere.

The Hunter dodged and fired away with his plasma caster, not waiting for his targeter to lock on to the abomination. Each bolt of plasma struck the Queen in the head and the chest, further enraging her and she charged him. Forgetting about his sword he opted to attack the Queen with his wrist blade.

**I'm going to get in close to you now, prey. As close as possible.**

The Hunter charged the Queen and extended the blades on his left wrist, before leaping towards her and sinking it into her chest. The Queen roared in pain before shaking herself of the Hunter, who landed on the asphalt and promptly falling backwards onto his ass. He glanced at his wristblades, seeing the still-burning acid that _wasn't_ eating through the steel of the blades.

The Queen then charged him and swung her tail, catching him in the side and sending him flying into a nearby van…

"ARGHHHHHH!"

…and denting the side of it. He slid down, barely conscious. The Queen then hissed and slunk over towards him, reaching for his head with her claws.

Suddenly…

_BLAM! BLAM BLAM!_

Misato charged down the street with her H&K USP, aiming down the sight as she fired at the Queen. The bleeding xeno turned her attention towards the captain who showed no fear.

(SSJNYH)

But she still felt fear. It's official. I'm batshit insane…

She saw how the serpent had sent the teenaged alien hunter hurtling towards the van quickly and decided to just rush in, gun blazing. And now that she was out of ammo and the Queen was now staring down at her, she froze in her place and ejected the empty magazine from his handgun, quickly reaching for a spare in her pocket. The Queen titled her head as if studying her, before roaring and causing her to fumble with the clip. It dropped out of her hand and landed on the ground.

Oh shit…

She froze shaking in the place as the Queen hobbled towards her. Gathering enough strength she took a step back, glancing between the monster and the still form of the Hunter as her left hand gripped her cross pendant. To her relief he quickly raised his head, but to her surprise he stood back up, stumbling forward as the sounds of cracking bone were heard. The Hunter noticed her looking at him desperately, imploring him.

'Run kid,' Misato implored mentally. 'Please…run away.'

The Hunter suddenly tore off his mask, letting it fall before the front right wheel of the van, revealing his angry, bloodshot eyes and fury-streaked face. He then took off towards the Queen, drawing his sword.

He bellowed…

"RAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

She screamed…

"N-NO!" her hand reaching towards him, her sudden motion a futile effort to stop him.

The Queen charged the Hunter and immediately swung her tail at him. The Hunter jump to avoid it, but made sure to land briefly on it, then use it as a stepping stone to launch himself at the Queen's head, swinging his nodachi vertically downward with both hands upon the Queen's neck, slicing into it and spilling acidic blood everywhere. The Queen shrieked and swatted the Hunter as he clung to his sword still embedded in her neck.

Misato watched helplessly s the Hunter fell back onto the asphalt. She drew her pistol as the Hunter spat blood and the Queen converged on the fallen teenager. He kept her finger on the trigger and fired away at the abomination, aiming at it's head and where it's eyes should be. This elicited an angered yelp from the Queen, who then turned towards her as she reached for the sword embedded in it's neck. She pulled it out and hurled it towards Misato like a sharp, acid-coated missile.

'Oh God.'

She swerved out of it's direction of flight and it struck the pavement beside her, sticking into the asphalt. The pain in her shoulder caused her to fall onto one knee. The Hunter saw her fall back down and snarled. Misato looked over at him, seeing him look at her with a look that spoke vengeance. He then turned towards the alien, her head now barely on her shoulder with acidic blood pouring out and melting the ground her and stood back up, still coughing up blood with presumably several broken ribs swimming about in his torso.

He then went berserk, gnashing his teeth and snarling like an animal as he looked at the serpent Queen as it charged him again. With one arm across wrapped around his chest, presumably to ease the pain of his busted chest, he ran and dove towards his sword, pulling it out of the ground. He spun around to face the Queen, sword in his left hand and his right arm across his chest.

"HEY!"

Misato emptied the rest of her pistol's magazine at the creature, drawing it's attention away from the Hunter as it instead went for her. It's tail swatted the Hunter and he fell back to the ground. Misato immediately regretted putting herself in it's sights when it grabbed her throat…

"AWWWWWWWKKKKKKKKKKK!"

…and lifted her into the air, choking her. It then brought her close to itself so that they stared into each other snarling/terrified faces. Misato felt tears in her eyes as she stared into pure evil itself as she felt it crush her windpipe.

'Please God…don't let me die like this…'

She then felt a drop of the Queen's acidic blood land on her cheek and begun to burn it. She gritted her teeth at first to bear the pain, but when the Queen opened her mouth to reveal a second set of jaws her mouth opened so that she moan loudly

Before _she_ screamed….

"ARGHHHHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly explosions tore the building right next to them, the heat burning away at the area around them. The Queen spun around to find four VTOL Fighters hovering above, weapons aimed down at both Misato and the Queen. The pilots couldn't believe what they were seeing.

_Nice one Kaze, you missed._

_God…what the hell is that thing?_

_It ain't human so kill it._

_It's got hold of someone. Can't you see her for?_

Who cares? Blow this bastard demon thing away…

The Queen shrieked as the VTOL's shone their searchlights at the creature, preparing to hit her with everything their fighters carried. All this provided the necessary distraction when _he_ then bellowed out loud….

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGGGGH!"

…and swung his large blade with both hands, slicing into the Queen's torso.

_Holy shit! That's kid's up and at em'!_

_Whoa! Look at him go!_

With an impressive slow of strength he grunted as he gripped the handle of the sword tightly and bisected her across the torso, slicing her in half. The torso dropped to the ground, Misato along with it and splattering acidic blood which immediately began to burn a large hole in the ground. She then felt the Queen release her and still facing it she scampered away before standing up and covering her mouth as she fought against the tears still falling.

"Oh…God…"

She looked up to see the VTOL's flying away.

_Target neutralised. NERV can clean this mess up._

The still alive alien Queen tried to claw her away out of the hole her blood was making. The Hunter stood over at the edge of, arms dangling at his side to reveal his bleeding, slashed, burnt, generally mutilated form, where pieces of his armour were now missing or badly damaged to be of any further use. He tried hard not to weep from the pain, but some tears were running down his cheeks from his eyes as he simultaneously suffered a concussion and indescribable pain from several busted ribs. Misato looked over at the teenager, almost feeling like she had to hurl again from the bloodied sight of him.

He glared down at the Queen before aiming his spear-gun down at her. She let out one final shriek before he fired into her head, ending her life and leaving her body to soak and disintegrate in the hole amongst it's own acidic blood. He then dropped his spear-gun and fell to his knees, arm wrapped around his chest where he resumed coughing blood up.

He groaned to himself in the other language, not noticing Misato stumbling over towards him.

"Wha…what?" she said as she approached him, before falling forward him.

"H-hurt…" he muttered. "I…hurt…"

Misato coughed and winced some as she massaged the cuts on her neck where the Queen had throttled her, glad they hadn't cut into her jugular, before sat up on her knees next to the youth. Not knowing what to do, she reached for him…

His reaction was instantaneously. He gasped in pain and pulled himself away from her when he felt her light touch on his shoulder and fell over on his chest away from her. Still in pain herself she pushed herself over towards him. She gripped his shoulders and gently rolled him over so that he was resting on his back. She then took off her coat and folded it, then placed it underneath his head.

"Hey kid, stay with me. C'mon, stay with me!" Misato exclaimed to the Hunter, his eyes closed and his teeth gritting in pain. She then shouted. "HEY! ANYONE STILL AROUND HERE? WE NEED HELP!"

She then glimpsed at her hands, seeing his blood all over them.

"Captain Katsuragi?" she heard a familiar voice call out to her. Maya then shrieked when she and some other armed NERV personnel saw them. "CAPTAIN!"

"OVER HERE!" she yelled. "WE'RE OVER HERE! WE NEED MED…!"

She froze when she felt a bloodied hand on her left cheek. She looked down to see the Hunter staring up at her with only his left eye open, with a small, reassuring smile. Blood was dripping down his arm as he reached up towards her. Misato was at a loss for words at this gesture.

"Kid…I…I…"

"It's…okay…" the Hunter said quietly to her, mimicking the previous situation they were in, only that their roles were seemingly reversed, as it was his hand that caressed her face, comfortingly.

Misato's eyes widened, "Kid?"

"Shinji…"

"What?"

The Hunter's smile faded, "Shinji…"

The Hunter then gripped the hilt of his nodachi with his right hand and held his weapon to himself, his left hand falling from Misato's face as he passed out. She panicked and grabbed his shoulders.

"No!"

(SSJNYH)

Watching all this time the huntress-warrior known as Gaun observed her pupil/son's battle with the Kainde Ameda, careful not to get leave the shadows and otherwise be sought out by the headlights of the ooman aircraft circling above the combat zone. Though the technology he possessed were in danger of being claimed by the oomans, she smiled behind her bio-mask as Shinji was tended to by the oomans, particularly that purple-haired, attractive (by ooman standards) woman who seemed overly concerned with her son's wellbeing.

She knew he would survive. His years living and training on the homeworld hardened him; physically, mentally and spiritually, all that experience he had gain were all for this moment. And no doubt afterwards it would help him survive anything on the planet of his birth.

**You passed, Curved Blade… you are now Blooded. Just bring us the skull of your next kill and you will receive the mark…**

* * *

Sy'ua – Wow/whoa

Mo – No

Pauk – Fuck

Pauk'de – Fuck you

Hac'nikt – Bastard (?)

Hope I nailed Gendo's mannerisms down correctly. And yeah, Shinji's developed a crush on Misato. If I decide to expand it in future chapters, however, it remains to be seen.


	7. Chapter 6: Curved Blade

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_In case you've noticed every time I add a new chapter I move the story away from the Crossover section back to the Evangelion section, then a few days later put in back in Crossovers. It's just my way.  
By the way I'm not making Shinji out to be invincible. He had help killing the xenomorph queen and subsequent future chapters will expand on how he came to be so good with a nodachi._

_Oh and I edited Chapter 5 with regards to Shinji's rank. To any Predator aficionados I hope I've got the clan ranking system right._

* * *

Chapter 6 – Curved Blade

* * *

**Two years ago…**

The wet sounds of one's balled fist making impact with another one's face echoed throughout the canyon walls, followed by the sounds of a body landing on rock were heard. Youthful, inhuman laughter followed, then silence.

Spitting blood the young human of twelve years tried pushing himself up off the rocky ground, briefly glancing at his bloody reflection in the water. Pain and exhaustion forced him back down, his face inches from the water, almost touching the scar on his right cheek, which matched the scar on his left cheek. For his age he was in formidable shape beyond his years. His small muscles were built from years of strenuous activity, particularly his biceps and abs; his baby fat completely burned away. His black hair was arranged in a topknot, a few strands held together with gold ringlets. His manner of dress complimented his wild, almost feral look: A brown-coloured loincloth, sputtered with blood that was dripping from a cut on his chest.

A crude fishing rod broken in half laid nearby next to a wire basket full of caught exotic, edible fish, while standing behind the young boy were three other humanoids, around his age but significantly taller. They wore loincloths, were dreadlocked (though were shorter then adult hunters) and had scorpion-like faces, their mandibles flared in both amusement and contempt for the only one of their _kind_ to stand out.

"Aww…I don't think the little ooman can get back up," one of the humanoid said mockingly.

One of the bullies stepped up to the 'ooman' and gave him a sharp kick to the side, rolling him over and causing his eyes to bulge out and he cry out in pain. He then closed his eyes tightly and went into a fetal position to try and dull the pain in his gut.

"No, I don't think he can."

The tallest of them was next to step towards him. He snorted, "Not so tough without your breeder guardian looking out for you, eh Shinji?"

Shinji's eyes flew open at the mention of his guardian being referred to as a breeder – a grave insult.

"It has a name?" another chided in.

"Yes, it's ooman name," the tall bully looked over his shoulder at the one standing back. "It insists it be referred to as 'Curved Blade' after that freakish sword he swings around."

The bullies now surrounded Shinji, looking down at him and deciding what to inflict upon him next.

Shinji expected this to happen. Those same three Unbloods – Kur, Ty'rae and S'yvar, would use every opportunity possible to make his life hell and he would always fight them off, sometimes even brutally. Usually Gaun or one of the Arbitrators came along to break up the fight, and the Arbitrators would reprimand all four of them, despite the three of them always picking the fight. The predator children would always accuse the ooman of starting the fight, which would always fail, as everybody knew how much of a gentle soul Shinji was when he wasn't using a weapon – which was a sign of massive weakness.

Shinji looked up at the bullies and hissed pleadingly, already knowing the answer, "W-why?"

"What a stupid question," the tallest bully, Kur, squatted so their faces were level. "Because you're a Pyoda Amedha living on our world, and with that damn Lou-dte kalei. You have no right to be here!"

The boy glared and struggled to get up, "W…why does everybody h-hate her?"

He felt Ty'rae's foot on his chest and push him back down, "Another stupid question! She's softhearted. My bearer says she lets her prey live if they can't fight anymore. That's being weak!"

"And she took you and that _other_ ooman in," S'yvar growled. "Damn the Elder for giving you something to breed with. You oomans will overpopulate our world in no time."

Still glaring, Shinji shouted, "You leave Mana out of this!"

Kur smirked and clicked his manidbles, "I think I know a way to make sure _that_ doesn't happen."

"What?" Ty'rae took his foot off Shinji's chest. "That the oomans won't spread."

Nodding, Kur glanced at Shinji's face before tracing his body down to between his legs, "I say we cut his balls off, that way he won't make that female bear his pups."

Shinji's eyes widened in horror.

Ty'rae grinned, "And any of _our_ females. A couple of the Unblood females have being giving him strange looks. _Very_ strange looks."

The boy then resumed glaring at his tormentors, gritting his teeth angrily.

"Not just his balls," S'yvar chimed in as he pulled out a knife hidden in his loincloth. "His organ too. We have to make double sure he doesn't contaminate our race with either more oomans or half-breeds."

Kur grabbed the knife out of S'yvar's hand and growled, his mandibles flared. He then reached for Shinji's loincloth with intent on acting on his threat towards the human. He was promptly taken by surprise when Shinji leapt forward and headbutted him.

"RAAARGHHHHH!"

Kur wailed in pain, dropping the knife that landed in Shinji's left hand. Furious, the boy then slashed the bigger hunter across the chest, spilling green glowing blood all over the rock and causing Kur to suddenly wail out even louder. S'yvar grabbed Shinji from behind, wrapping his arms around his chest in a bear hug and lifting him off the ground with the intention of crushing the smaller human to death.

Undeterred, Shinji bared his teeth and bit into the flesh of S'yvar's right arm, drawing blood and making S'yvar scream and loosen his hold on him immediately. He then wriggled his way out of his grasp and balling his right hand into a fist and delivered a straight punch to S'yvar's crotch region. The hunter eyes appeared to bulge out of his skull and he collapsed to his knees, clutching his shattered genitalia with moisture pooling in the corners of his eyes. He then toppled forward onto the ground and passed out.

Shinji then turned his attention to Ty'rae. The horrified hunter eyes quivered in his skull, seeing the supposedly weak and frail human now turned feral and had just taken down his two friends. With Kur's eyes angrily gazing at him he turned and run away. The boy watched him run, then turned his attention back to Kur. He saw him on his knees with his arm across his chest wound and glaring dangerously Shinji and the knife that had his green blood on it in his hands. Shinji glared back and gripped the knife.

"Do you worst, ooman!" Kur exclaimed. "My sire will bring hell down on you _and_ your handler, mark my words."

Kur's mandibles crossed in a smirk.

"He will make _good_ use of her, that's for sure."

Shinji frowned at the hunter, then turned towards the river and tossed the knife into the water and watched it get swept away by the current. Kur swore he saw red at seeing his sire's prized hunting knife get swept away and possibly lost forever. In an instant he got up, growled angrily and lunged at Shinji, knocking him down near the wire basket and his broken fishing rod.

The boy instinctively reached for one half of the broken rod and jabbed it forward.

"!"

The next thing he saw was Kur standing up and roaring in agony, the piece of fishing rod through his right eye. He reached for it and yanked it out, taking his eyes with it and spilling green blood all over Shinji.

"Uh…uh…"

Shinji's eyes widened, horrified at what he had just done to Kur. He had defended himself against these bullies plenty of times but never this savagely, and they had never insulted his own guardian beforehand. Quickly blinking away tears and without thinking he got up, grabbed his steel cage and ran for it, disappearing out of sight.

Kur eyes covered his empty eye socket, his remaining left eye watching Shinji disappear. He bellowed angrily at the retreating form of the human and immediately swore vengeance.

"Ooman…you die…you die…!"

(SSJNYH)

Holding the cage over his shoulder with a rope he trudged down a dirt road beside the canyon river, sniffling slightly as he replayed over in his mind the bullies threatening to castrate him and his vicious retaliation against them that caused him to be horrified with himself. Six years living amongst these people and he had adapted to the customs, speaking the language that consisted of clicks and throaty grunts no longer hurt his throat, embraced the attention he received for his progress as a warrior, and yet he still had a gentle soul.

The other hunters had commented on it. That when he was not in a battle stance he was the same, sensitive gentle ooman that had been liberated from his dreary existence back on Earth. The same goes when he drew blood, that it would immediately put him off and he would have to stop himself from apologizing to whoever it was that was training. His guardian Gaun understood but the other hunters looked down on him for it.

"Curved Blade," his name echoed around him with glee.

Still walking, Shinji looked around himself, "Merl'we…?"

De-cloaking alongside him was a tall eight-foot female with yellow skin with green speckles and dreadlocks all the way down to her waist. She had her bio-mask on, fully armed and was dressed in an exotic manner pertaining to females of the species including armor and mesh, except she only wore a thin strip of leather to support her admittedly large breasts, leaving nothing to the imagination.

And Merl'we liked that, liked the attention he received from almost every male in the clan. Shinji glanced up at the female predator as best he could.

"Eyes up here, pup," Merl'we said teasingly, pointing at her face as he noticed he had to glanced past her assets just to see her face. "Little pervert."

Shinji looked away from her, trying to keep himself from blushing.

"M-Merl'we," he stuttered embarrassingly as he looked over his shoulder. "I thought you were g-gonna stop that."

She chuckled, "Stop what? Making you interested in females? I think not."

Merl'we looked at him, noticing his despondent look and sighed. She enjoyed the attention males, young and old, gave her; and was annoyed that Shinji didn't pay her the same mind, and was embarrassed about doing, and to her that was a cause for concern. She knew ooman males youth went through puberty it at a much longer pace then hunters, where they hunter matured quickly during their perceived adolescent years. She wished he stopped being so embarrassed around her, especially that he was living amongst beings expected to partake in the mating rituals as soon as they become Blooded, and he was no exception.

"You really need to stop acting so…embarrassed when you're around me," Merl'we stated, crossing her arms. "The other males don't."

"Gaun says I-I should only concentrate on being a great warrior," Shinji countered. "And leave females for when after I've claimed my first skull. They're a distraction, she said"

"_She_ said that?" Merl'we sounded outraged.

Shinji turned red and tried to not smile, searching through his memories, "Remember th-that one time you weren't wearing anything over your…you know…while I was training with Gaun and that t-threw me off and I almost sliced through her with the sword?"

The female predator snorted, remembering that quite vividly, "Yes, she told me to start wearing _something_ while I'm around her place. She's such a killjoy."

Shinji adverted his eyes when she adjusted the cloth around her breasts.

"And it's sooo uncomfortable, don't you agree?"

She then noticed Shinji walking at faster pace, as if to avoid her. She rolled her eyes and tried to keep up.

"I saw you fight those three Unbloods," she tried striking up a conversation. "Impressive."

"You saw that?" he faced her looking outraged, no longer embarrassed about being around her. "W-why didn't you help me?"

She smiled inwardly, pleased that he was looking at her with a straight face. "You seemed to be able to handle yourself. The way you dealt with drawing blood from Kur, however…"

She sounded serious.

"You need to grow out of that."

"Out of what?"

"Looking so apologetic when you draw blood. Your prey will not appreciate your tears."

Shinji looked down, "I'm trying. I really am. I-I just don't like hurting anyone here."

"Do you feel bad for Kur now that you have blinded him in one eye?"

Shinji shook his head vehemently and exclaimed, "No! He had it coming for a long time! He should have left me alone!"

He then appeared solemn and lowered his voice.

"Just when I hurt you, Nam and Gaun during training I feel bad afterwards. You tell me I shouldn't, but I just do."

"I know that," Merl'we replied sincerely. "And so does Gaun…whom I going to see right now."

"Y-you are?"

Shinji was surprised that someone was actually travelling to Gaun and Shinji's place in order to converse with the warrior in person. Merl'we noticed this and went right back to teasing mode.

"What's wrong, Curved Blade? I thought pups your age would be thrilled to have _three_ beautiful females within their home."

She chuckled when Shinji's face turned red and thought he was going to pass out from blood pooling in his head.

(SSJNYH)

For a young human girl of twelve years she was considered gorgeous. She had long reddish-brown hair all the way down to her waist where some strands were tied together with rings, giving her an almost Amazonian appearance. Complimenting her were her grey-coloured eyes and her manner of dress consisted of brown material that covered her torso just above her navel and a bikini hidden by a loincloth.

She was smiling lightly and humming to herself as she cleaned the nodachi sword with a moist cloth by the river's edge, just outside the cave where she, her lord and his guardian inhabited.

Out the corner of her eyes she saw Shinji and Merl'we approaching, the boy holding a steel cage full of fish over his shoulder, but he was without his fishing rod. Regardless, Mana smiled widely and sheathed the nodachi in it's sheath.

"Blade-dono! Merl'we-san."

Placing the sheathed sword against a nearby rock, she ran towards him with a smile still etched on her face. It slowly faded when she got closer to him and saw he was covered in cuts and bruises.

"BLADE-DONO!" she cried, alarmed to see the extent of his injuries. She immediately gripped Shinji by his shoulder, before immediately inspecting his wounds. She then pleaded, "What happened to you? Please tell me, Blade-dono."

Shinji sighed and gently pushed her off him, "Just a small skirmish with the terrible three, Mana."

"Kur, Ty'rae and S'yvar?" Mana said. "But the Elder told them to stay away from you."

"But they didn't, and now they've paid for it," Merl'we stated gleefully and patted Shinji's shoulder, making him wince slightly with pain. "Kur will be seeing out of one eye, Ty'rae's officially a little loin-cloth wetting kwei and breeding for S'yvar is going to be _little_ difficult for him when the time comes."

As Shinji let his basket drop onto the rocky ground, Mana queried, "What _about_ Ty'rae?"

"Ran away like the little coward his sire was," Merl'we said, bitterly remembering Merl'we's father and the act of cowardice that got him killed by his own prey.

Shinji gripped his teeth as his wound begun to flare up and he begun limping towards the cave, Mana quick to help him walk.

"Gaun-sama's not going to be happy, Blade-dono," Mana reminded him as her wrapped her arm around his back to keep him level. "She said to just turn the other way when those three try to harass you."

"I did."

Shinji and Mana's head shot up to see the dark-skinned Gaun in casual wear (large triangular piece of cloth around chest and what appeared to be a small skirt) leaning against the entrance of the cave with her arms crossed and frowning at Shinji.

Merl'we smirked behind her mask when she saw her oldest friend. "Warrior Gaun."

(SSJNYH)

"…you did fight them off, and that is what counts."

Within the cave in the main room the small fire illuminated the dark cave as the hunters sat around it, the fish cooking on a grill propped above it. Bandages around his head and chest Shinji was quietly eating his share, biting the fish off a small stick shoved through the cooked meat as Mana still tended to his wounds, dabbing ointment on his small wounds.

Shinji winced, hissing, "That hurts."

"Don't fidget then, Blade-dono," Mana sounded stern.

Merl'we enjoyed how Shinji's servant was acting like his mate, "Yes, Blade-_dono_. Don't fidget."

Shinji glared over at Merl'we, before looking at his guardian.

"It should, yau-th," Shinji bit off the last of the fish on his stick before he threw it onto the fire and letting it burn. "They should leave me alone, otherwise I wouldn't have…you know…hurt them so badly."

"Badly is an understatement," Merl'we's now unmasked mandibles folded into a smirk. "One of them is probably not going to be breed or even walk straight…ever again. As far as I'm concerned, his line has ended."

"And what's the big deal about that, anyway?" Shinji questioned loudly, curious as the child he is. "They always kept talking about siring young once they're Blooded and today they wanted to stop _me_ siring pups, oomans, half-breeds, whatever they keep saying and threatened to cut my…"

He stopped himself talking and winced slightly, not from the pain as Mana treated the last of his cuts, but from remembering those threats of castration he kept receiving in the past.

"It _is_ a big deal, Curved Blade," Gaun said, holding a cup of cn'tlip in her left hand and extending with her right hand another cup to Shinji, who accepted it and immediately took a sip. "Once you are Blooded, not to mention much older, you will be expected to start siring children with as many females as possible."

Merl'we added, "So it's best if you kept your balls."

Shinji blushed, about the prospect of his future duties once he was _Blooded, not to mention older_, "I-I really have to do that, yau-th?"

"It is expected of every male hunter of the clan," Gaun stated matter-of-factly as she drank from her cup, eyes closed. "You are no different."

"W-who would I have to do _that_ with?"

Mana's face lit up and stared hopefully at her lord Shinji. Merl'we noticed this and hoped Shinji did as well. However Shinji still looked ahead towards Gaun and the human girl's smile faded and sadness itched across her face. She then stood up and bowed at Shinji.

"Your wounds should heal now, Blade-dono," Mana stated plainly. "I'll be outside completing my chores if you need me."

Shinji looked up at her and nodded, smiling at her. She turned towards the entrance of the cave and stepped out, eyes narrowed in sadness and discontent. Merl'we growled lightly and shook her head, which was noticed by Gaun.

"There's nobody I would want to…do _that_ with anyway," Shinji said, once again emphasizing _that_, "Even if I wanted to."

Merl'we was about to suggest Mana when she received a stern look from Gaun. The younger female hunter shivered a bit as she was on the receiving end of one of Gaun's infamous death glares.

"We could always take you back to Earth," Merl'we instead said with a playful indication of her mandibles. "Give you a week to find yourself some females of your species and sow your seed…"

"No."

Shinji shook his head before drinking his cn'tlip, gasping a bit from the bitter aftertaste as he lowered his cup and glared at it.

"I'm _never_ going back there."

"Eh?" Merl'we was surprised.

Still frowning, Shinji said, "I don't want anything else to do with…_that_ planet. I've lived here longer and that makes it…"

He sniffed.

"…my home."

Gaun and Merl'we looked at one another, before the older female spoke, "And if going to Earth would mean your becoming Blooded?"

Shinji looked at Gaun thoughtfully then muttered solemnly, "Maybe, yau-th."

**Why I am back on the homeworld? I was fighting the Kainde Amedha a minute ago on…_that_ planet?**

**Didn't this happen in my life once already?**

**Unless…yeah, I'm dreaming…**

**I want to wake up now…**

Shinji felt like he was lying on something soft, something that he had laid on for many years: A mattress. He felt his head rest on something equally soft and something cover his body up to his chest, where his arms laid at his sides – a pillow and blanket. All he could hear was the sound of computerised beeping, prompting him to open his eyes and find himself staring up at a unfamiliar, white ceiling.

He groaned slightly as slight pain shot through his body and he saw under the blanket that his whole body was covered in badages. He tried moving his left arm, but found it was immobilised. Still in a haze he saw that it was handcuffed to the bed he was lying on, and attached to him were several medical apparatuses.

"C'jit…" he muttered to himself as he laid his back down, sighing in defeat.

Apart from his wrist devices his technology and clothing had been completely stripped from him, and until he got them back he would be in trouble with the clan, most likely his life would be forfeit and not even Gaun would be able to protect him. As he turned his head to the right he found that he wasn't the only person incapacitated.

His eyes lit up when he saw an albino, blue-haired young girl his own age lying in a bed some feet opposite his own. She was attached to several medical apparatuses as well as her injuries made her look like the victim of a vehicular accident. Despite said injuries she looked peaceful, and Shinji felt touched by the serenity radiating from the sleeping girl.

He then looked at his shackled hand then at the albino, as if longingly.

(SSJNYH)

"Is this everything, Ritsuko?"

"Everything that was confiscated following him being admitted into the Emergency unit at NERV's hospital unit."

Misato was bandaged around her head, neck and left shoulder as stood near the table where the Hunter weapons were laid out within one of NERV's expansive laboratories. She noted the nodachi, frisbee-like circular blade, the exotic-looking knife, the shoulder-mountable cannon and it's supposed battery pack, the speargun, numerous spearheads and shuriken, armour shards including pauldrons and knee-guards, the now torn mesh-ware, scarf...and the bio-mask.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the mask. She reached forward and grasped it, studying it closely. She immediately thought back to a quarter of her life ago…

That…_that_ wasn't a dream.

And she was worried about the owner of those weapons.

**Did they take him too? And they decided **_**not**_** to bring him back until today?**

**Or it one of **_**them**_** we've got lying down in the hospital? And behind those masks they actually look like human beings?**

He was a mess when they rushed him to NERV's trauma unit, and had ignored Misato's pleas to get him to the regular hospital on the surface above the GeoFront, which would have been faster. Then she herself had passed out when they gave her the sedative. She woke up two hours later and promptly returned to duty despite pleas from the medical staff.

"See anything you like?" Ritsuko asked bemusedly.

Misato's face fell flat, "Seriously he was carrying all of this on him? Looks like he was trying to start his own war…"

She noticed Ritsuko and her clipboard.

"What are you reading?"

"The surgeon's report on our guest," Ritsuko said. "He came out of the operating theatre two hours ago, and the doctors successfully established that he is definitely human."

Misato snorted, "Huh…that much is obvious."

She then noticed something.

"Where are those wrist devices?" Misato looked over at the scientist. "He had these…mechanical things on his wrists and arms."

Ritsuko stood nearby reading from a clipboard, her head also bandaged but otherwise she had suffered less then Misato and had been released from the hospital an hour earlier then the captain; where she immediately went back to work as if nothing had happened.

"It says here…that upon attempting to remove devices around arms and wrists that subject went into severe cardiac arrest. Amidst his other heinous injuries sustained he almost expired," Ritsuko read with any hints of emotion. "Upon further investigation the devices were discovered to be hard wired into his nervous system."

"Wh-what?" Misato was stunned.

"You heard me, Misato," Ritsuko stated, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Whoever put those things on him wanted to make sure he couldn't take them off."

Misato reached for one of the spearheads and examined it closely, noting the look and type of metal it was. At first glance it looked like stainless steel, but there was something definitely inhuman about it.

"He said his name was Shinji," Misato said. "Any follow ups on that?"

"I've pulled up missing persons records," Ritsuko put the clipboard down and sat down at her computer. "About ten-thousand missing people with first name 'Shinji'…I don't need to tell you how hard it would be to…to…"

She then realised.

"Unless it's Shinji Ikari."

Misato's eyes widened, "Ikari? As in…_Commander_ Ikari?"

She was stunned.

"Commander Ikari has a son?"

She then downcast her eyes and bit her lip.

**I'm already feeling sorry for this kid.**

Ritsuko inwardly cursed at Misato's outward emotions towards this kid as she stared at the image of a six-year old boy on the monitor. "One and only. He was living with his aunt and uncle outside Tokyo-03 when their home burned down. Sifting through the ashes…"

She saw that the names of the aunt and uncle were 'withheld.'

"…Shinji's aunt and uncle were found and identified, while Shinji just disappeared. Vanished. A full investigation was launched, but was called off after a week."

"A week?" Misato said. "Why?"

"No visible leads. Nothing to go by," Ritsuko said. "It went cold."

That was a lie. Ritsuko decided not to mention that Commander Ikari himself had the investigation shut down. Instead he decided to dedicate resources to finding another suitable subject for Project E, not for someone that quite possibly could be dead or to take years to find, which would have put a dent in Gendo's plans. However interestingly enough that didn't yield any results as no suitable candidate matching Shinji's profile was found.

But with Gendo not bothering to search for Shinji, she thought that was something Misato didn't need to know.

"How's Shinji anyway?" Misato asked. "He just got out of surgery, right?"

"About an hour ago," Ritsuko said.

She then began reading from the clipboard.

"Subject suffered four broken ribs, one collapsed lung, two dislocated fingers on his left hand, several lacerations on his chest, numerous acid burns…"

Misato's eyes widened.

'Oh shit.'

"…and that's the extent of the kid's injuries…before today."

Misato's head shot and her eyes widened, "B-before today, Ritsuko?"

Ritsuko nodded and continued to read, "After surgery it was noted that the subject's bones, namely the arms, legs and ribs, had been either been cracked or broken and healed numerous times before. Also mass scarring was found on the torso, arms, legs and both cheeks, possibly inflicted years before."

"Shit," Misato muttered. "What the hell happened to this kid?"

Ritsuko sighed, "_Almost_ everything."

"Almost?"

Again reading from the clipboard, Ritsuko explained, "Despite the aforementioned pasts cracks and breaks to bones surgeons noted that their strength, durability and density is much stronger than the average adolescent male. If the kind of injuries the subject were suffered were inflicted on anyone else than the result would be immediately fatal."

Misato was speechless, "But…how is that possible?

Ritsuko was thoughtful, "A incredibly rich diet, maybe? It would have to have been monstrous in calcium. Or it could be Wolff's law – repeated use and strain through the years just made him naturally stronger, which leads to the next point."

"What's that?" Misato was now definitely curious about this kid."

"His muscle mass – particularly in his biceps, adomibales and triceps, is abnormal for a teenage male," Ritsuko continued. "Intense physical exercise is agreed to be the cause. I'd guess he's as strong as a full grown man."

"Yeah, I noticed," Misato said.

She smiled, drawing Ritsuko's attention.

"For his age he's pretty ripped."

"You _noticed_?"

"Wha…what?" Misato shot back, face turning red as she went on the defensive. "I-I did, alright? He was right there in front of me barely wearing anything 'cept a loincloth and those bits of armour…y-you know!"

"Relax, Katsurgai," Ritsuko deadpanned. She then continued, "Overall, Intense martial training is believed to be the reason for subject's abnormal physical state."

"What about the scarring?" Misato asked, frowning. "Any clue about who inflicted those on him?"

"Unknown," Ritsuko explained. "However the size and angle of the wounds would indicate a combination of knifes and other bladed weapons."

Misato rubbed the side of her head as he begun to feel uneasy about the boy.

"Misato, it's obvious what the deal is with this boy," Ritsuko faced her seriously, "Whoever abducted Shinji made sure to cover their tracks by murdering his guardians and destroying his home, just to transform him into a human weapon."

"Super soldier more like. Or damn near close to one," Misato growled, angry at the thought of child being subjected to something so horrific; to have their childhood stripped away, to lose their innocence. "You should have seen him in action. He killed that monster, and it was three times bigger than he was. He just sliced it in half with..."

She indicated the long-bladed nodachi – the notorious sword of Japanese origin.

"…a sword that's basically impractical to fight with in real-life."

Ritsuko nodded, then became bitter, "That's according to my understanding."

"Who'd do this, though?" Misato demanded. "Kidnap a six-year-old child and put him through…all _this_?"

"Whatever they were, they couldn't have been human," Ritsuko stated, then pointed at the technology. "What's lying on that table is proof enough. And Misato…"

She looked at her seriously.

"…we can't rule out Shinji's mental state."

Misato nodded, recalling how the boy behaved during his bout against the alien. His screaming in a language that sounded like a combination of grunts and clicks; his war cry when he, quite possibly insanely, charged the beast and he kept on fighting despite suffering harrowing wounds. If indeed Shinji had been built up to be a fighter then that leave some definite psychological scarring more damage then the ones he had on his body.

**Those creatures that showed up at Second Impact, they did this to him…**

**….  
****….**

**Why?**

"Ritsuko?"

"Yes?"

"You said almost everything happened to him. What do you mean?"

Ritsuko stood up as she walked over to the coffee maker, "No physical visible signs of sexual abuse. Everything happened to him except _that_."

Misato shuddered, "The way you just said it it's not comforting at all."

"No apologies, captain."

Misato sat down and continued staring at the alien arsenal on the table as Ritsuko made coffee for herself, contemplating the exotic weaponry that belonged to the boy identified as Shinji Ikari, disappeared eight years ago amidst flames and ashes. And now he has returned, and now at Gendo Ikari's mercy.

"Has the Commander read the report?"

"Not yet," Ritsuko replid. "I haven't forwarded it yet."

"Do you think he'd be happy his son's back?"

Ritsuko poured her coffee into a cup, "If he still has plans for him."

Misato frowned, "Plans?"

The captain then decided to change the subject, much to the doctor's relief.

"You sure it's safe putting him in the same ward as Rei?"

"Why not?" Ritsuko took a sip of coffee. "It's not like he's going anywhere."

She then thought, 'And if he did, he wouldn't get far either.'

(SSJNYH)

**It doesn't hurt.**

**Whenever I lie here, out of the EVA, it doesn't hurt. Whenever I'm performing my duty, I feel pain. I do not wish to feel pain, yet I must perform my duty. And that pain… that has been with me for almost a week.**

**A week? Has it been that long? Dr. Akagi told me that it's been a week since EVA-00's startup experiment and the accident. Time seems to slow whenever I lie here in the hospital, healing from my injuries sustained during the accident.**

**It feels like an eternity, rather then seven days, since then.**

**I'm not suppose to be thinking, yet I know I'm sleeping. How is that possible?**

**I want to wake up now.**

Rei Ayanami, age fourteen, opened her eyes slowly. She expected to see the white ceiling of the trauma ward. Instead she was greeted by the impassive face of a heavily bandaged, teenage boy with spiky black hair that had some ornaments holding some of the strands together. Upon seeing that she was awake the boy smiled brightly.

**Who is this person?**

"H-Hel..lo," the boy greeted her, his Japanese broken.

"Wha…?" Rei groaned, noticing that the boy's left thumb appeared dislocated.

Shinji noticed what she was looking at, and suddenly remembered that he had dislocated his own thumb in order to slip off the handcuff that had held him to his bed. He closed his eyes, sighed, and moved his right hand towards his left thumb. One pop of the joints later the thumb went back to normal, Shinji moving it about and showing no evident pain or even discomfort.

Rei was intrigued.

**Did he feel pain when he did that? Or did he just not show it?**

"Who are…you?" Rei asked him.

Shinji looked back at her, smiling once again. It faded when her question registered in his brain and he appeared to panic slightly.

"C-c-cu…" Shinji struggled to say. "Cur-cur…"

He closed his eyes and sighed with resignation.

"Shin-ji," he said, almost forced.

**Could he only pronounce that? What is his **_**real**_** name?**

"Name?

Rei looked at him curiously. Shinji smiled at her once again.

"You…" he pointed at her. "Name?"

"A-Ayanami."

"Aya…nami," the boy repeated her name. "Ayanami."

Shinji stood there for some time, just observing Rei quietly as the girl stared back just as silently. He then suddenly keeled over forward, left arms covered his chest while his right hand reached forward and grabbed the rail to Rei's bed. Quietly, she blinked curiously at the kid, noticing the bandages on his chest beginning to bleed as the sutras keeping his wounds closed were reopened. Rei then glimpsed at the security camera on the ceiling near the corner of the room.

**How long will it take the medical personnel, or security, to respond to this?**

She then turned back to Shinji, who was now on his knees stricken and struggling to breathe, his hand gripping the rail. She continued to stare emotionless at him.

**Who are you?**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji felt himself becoming delirious as he lost blood, knowing that through his eagerness to see the girl he had reopened his wounds.

And being delirious came with thinking deliriously…

**I…have to…get out of here. Find…weapons…reclaim honor…**

(SSJNYH)

"Is this report accurate, Dr. Akagi?"

"According to Captain Katsuragi and the doctors who treated him."

Gendo had finished reading through the report, and was once again appearing indifferent.

"His weaponry, armor and equipment have been confiscated?" Gendo inquired as he put the report down on his desk.

"They're all sitting in one of the secure labs, sir," Ritsuko responded. "The subject is currently recuperating following surgery."

"I see," Gendo said, hands folded before his face. "And you can establish that he is completely human?"

"Yes," Ritsuko replied.

"And that he has definitely undergone some form of mental conditioning, evident by his 'feral-like behavior' while fighting the creature?"

"The evidence is there, sir."

Ritsuko paused.

"Is there anything else you like to add?"

"Sir, I must ask you to take part in a paternity test," Ritsuko stated.

"And why is that?" Gendo asked, a hint of intrigue in his tone of voice.

"It could be possible that the subject in question is Shinji Ikari, reported missing eight years ago...your son. We would like to confirm this."

Still indifferent, showing no outward emotion which was not surprising to the faux-blonde, Gendo said, "I see. That will not be necessary, Dr. Akagi."

"Sir, I think…"

"We will discuss what to do with this supposed extraterrestrial at another time, Dr. Akagi. You are dismissed."

Ritsuko turned to leave, stepping out of Gendo's office and immediately deducing what could be going through the Commande's head. Gendo watched her leave, then glanced down at the report a flicker of interest now evident in his eyes.

"It would appear they have decided to give back your child, Ikari," Fuyutsuki said. "And I am concerned about what they have done to him."

"It is of no consequence," Gendo replied. "His resumed presence will complement the Scenario."

"Right away? Don't you think he's being through enough already?"

"It's irrelevant. How he will fit into our grand scheme will be gradual," Gendo said. "I perceive he has no feelings at all for humanity and does not care what will happen to it. We will have to cultivate those such feelings within him."

He then paused.

"Then we will be better able to control him, or at least influence his actions to our benefit."

_(A/N: Damn, Gendo's speech and mannerisms are so hard to write...at least for me. Hope I'm doing this right – GJ.)_

"How we will go about doing that?"

"Katsuragi, Fuyutsuki."

"Our new captain?" Fuyutsuki asked, intrigued.

"She will have another use besides tactical," Gendo stated. "It will under her direct supervision that we will integrate…the _Third Child_. Figuratively speaking she will put a leash on him."

Fuyutsuki sighed inwardly. Ikari's son would not be spared his destiny after all. The desk intercom suddenly beeped and Gendo answered it.

"Yes?"

_Commander, we have a situation…_

(SSJNYH)

_The alien's out of bed. He just dislocated his own hand to free himself. He's moving towards the First Child._

_He's down. He's on his knees and bleeding bad._

_Stand by, security. Section One with captain Katsuragi will deal with it._

Upon hearing that Shinji had awaken and somehow freed himself from his bed and was currently bleeding all over Ayanami Misato found herself rushing through NERV's hospital unit followed by two members of NERV's Security Force and two medics. Bewildered, all the while she was trying to figure out how he had managed to find the strength to make his way across the trauma unit floor towards Ayanami, let alone escape from being cuffed to the bed and to stand on his own two feet so soon after surgery.

'I shouldn't be surprised,' Misato thought embittered, 'He's practically a living, breathing weapon. By rights nothing should keep him down, without it killing him eventually.'

She then wondered.

'But what he does want with Rei, anyway?'

They stopped in front of the ward, with security drawing .50 pistols. Misato turned to them and waved them down.

"I'll handle this," she said. "He knows me."

She then turned to the medics.

"Be ready to dispense immediate treatment."

They nodded, "Yes, captain."

She opened the door, expecting to see Shinji's empty bed at the end of the room, but instead there was Shinji himself covered in bloodsoaked bandages where his reopened wounds were and look on his face that spoke both sadism and delirium, indicated by his weak smile and half-opened smiles. The female medic gasped at the sight while Misato was in disbelief.

"Oh my…"

She saw that the smile was for her, which then faded when he turned towards the guards who each had a pistol in their hands. The men, fazed immensely by his bloody appearance, froze in place as if waiting for Shinji to make the first move. Misato kept still as well, as did the medics.

A full minute passed…

…then the male medic suddenly sneezed.

"RAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

And Shinji hurled his bloody self at the guards, knocking them both down and grabbing them both their left and right hands respectively which held their guns, and two quick wrist movements and snaps of bone later the men were screaming in pain, their pistols cluttering to the floor.

**What the hell…what the hell…?**

Misato instinctively drew her H&K but froze when blades shot out of the right wrist device and Shinji now turned on her, fury marked on his face and freezing Misato in place with fear, as if staring into the eyes of a wild, feral beast. It suddenly lost intensity when he eyes closed and he passed out on his feet, falling forward towards Misato who caught him in her arms. Panicking, she turned to the medics.

"Don't just sit there! Help him!"

Hesitantly they got up and begun to treat him as Misato laid him carefully on the ground. They tore away by tearing away his bandages to temporary reseal his wounds so that they can bring him back into surgery. With quivering eyes Misato looked at her hands to find them once again covered in the boy's blood.

**He looked like he was going to kill me. No…he **_**was**_** going to kill me.**

She then looked at the boy sadly.

**What did those…things…do to you?**

(SSJNYH)

It was three days later when Misato accompanied a doctor into the trauma unit and they stepped up to Shinji's bed. The boy wounds had healed completely, leaving more scars on him. It was interesting to note that his wounds healed at much faster rate than for normal humans. To make sure there wasn't a repeat of what happened earlier he was put under heavy sedation, and it was now they had decided to wake him up.

"Are you sure we don't need security in here?" the doctor asked. "Or at least strap him down first?"

"No…I'm sure if he see me without reaching for my gun, he'll…"

She shook her head and growled in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Misato sighed, "Let's just see what happens."

The doctor nodded and produced a hypodermic needle, injecting it into the boy's drip. A minute later the boy's eyes shot open, pupils wide, and he begun exclaiming in a language composed of throaty clicks and growls as he shot out of bed, startling both Misato and the doctor. Misato immediately grabbed Shinji by the shoulders.

"Calm down!" she cried, hoping he would understand. "No one's going to hurt you! Please…just calm down…"

Sweat rolling down his body and panting from a combination of exhaustion and shock, Shinji sat there for a few moments, looking straight ahead past Misato and the doctor. The captain glanced worriedly at the wrist device, hoping the blades wouldn't jut out and he wouldn't go into the feral state again. He didn't, however, as he looked directly at Misato.

She smiled at him, "Yeah…just…relax, just breathe. You…understand me, right?"

Shinji was still, then nodded hesitantly.

The doctor took a step back and instead decided to just witness the interactions between the feral child and the captain. He begun to write on a clipboard as Misato released Shinji and took a seat next to the bed.

"Do you remember how you got here?"

Shinji shook his head.

Misato cleared her throat, "Well, after you killed that monster…what you called the Kainde Amedha, right?

Shinji nodded, "Kainde Amedha."

"Yeah, you sliced it right in half, and it what left of it dissolved in it's own blood," Misato said. "Left no trace at all. You were hurt badly afterwards, though. So we took you down here and fixed you up. You understand me?"

Shinji nodded again. Then his eyebrows raised themselves in surprise, "_Down_…here?"

Misato cringed, 'Dammit. Shouldn't have said that. Can't give him any reason to panic.'

The boy looked around, cringing, "Where…?"

Misato sighed and thought about choosing her words carefully, "We're beneath the city, in a safe place."

"S-safe?"

"Yes," Misato said. 'God, this is hard.'

Shinji glanced at his blanketed feet, before turning his head toward Ayanami's bed…to find she wasn't there. His breath caught in his throat and he turned back to Misato, panicking.

"A-A-yanami?"

"What?" Misato said.

"Where…where Ayanami?" Shinji asked, his broken Japanese making him sound pathetic.

Sensing he was about to start up Misato got up from her seat and held his right hand, giving it a firm squeeze. Shinji immediately calmed down and looked at her, or more accurately, into her eyes. Immediately he felt a sense of calm spread over him as he sat there on the bed, and Misato herself found herself relaxing as well.

'Rei's about to undergo the synch test with EVA-01,' Misato thought. 'Should I let him see her? It might relax him.'

She then mentally added.

'Just her, and not 01. Him and the sight of that damn thing…ah, don't wan to think about it.'

"Shinji?"

The boy blinked as Misato let go of his hand and he stared directly at her.

"Do you want to see her?"

Shinji nodded his head almost immediately and without stuttering, "Yes."

Misato smiled, and realized that apart from his bandages he was bare underneath those blankets, "Alright, just let me find you some clothes first, alright?"

Shinji smiled back and felt compelled to lie back down on the bed and relax. Misato turned to the doctor and the both of them left him alone. The boy realized that she was leaving quickly looked up to see Misato go and was immediately downcast as the door closed behind, disappointed with seeing her go.

**She's nice…in every way possible way. Katsuragi.**

He then thought about that blue-haired girl, Ayanami?

**Why do I feel drawn to **_**her**_**? Ayanami?**

He then wondered some more, and sighed once again…

**You're right, Mother. Females are a distraction after all…**

He then smiled again and blushed lightly.

**But not **_**after**_** I'm become Blooded. Your exact words…**

* * *

Japanese suffixes

Dono – Lord  
San – Sir/Ma'am  
Sama - Highest

Predator

Cn'tlip - Alcoholic drink  
Kwei – Coward  
Yau-th – Guardian / Family Member

_So what you think? I could really use your opinions on this one._


	8. Chapter 7: Scars

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_A/N: Thanks for your reviews, and your favs._

_The battle against Armiel begins next chapter and I plan to throw a couple of twists in it. For now, let's establish the fact the Shinji is still 'ooman'._

_Man, the psychiatric and psychological stuff in this chapter was tough to write. I hope it's all understandable and relates to Shinji._

* * *

Chapter 7 – Scars  


Misato slightly opened the door to see Shinji, dressed in nothing but boxer shorts, lying down on the floor next to the more comfortable looking bed, his head resting on a pillow. She became despondent and sighed depressively, before closing the sliding door and leaning against the wall. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed again, her body sliding downward until she was sitting on the floor.

'I really thought he'd be sleeping on the bed like a normal human being,' Misato thought sadly. 'Guess he really isn't one any more, anyway.'

Wrapping her arms around he legs and holding them to her she shook her head morosely.

**This…this is going to be hard…**

(SSJNYH)

Five hours ago…

"Those clothes fit you alright, Shinji?"

Shinji glared as he felt irritancy affect his whole body as he wore a patient gown and pants. For the first time in years he was wearing something that was made of a soft fabric that covered his whole body instead of armour and mesh. And as a result he felt vulnerable, like something would come at him at any moment. He stared down at his feet, which were covered in slippers and frowned.

"Shinji?"

He looked at Misato and forced out as he scratched his back, "Yeah."

Misato narrowed her eyes, as she looked at him with concern.

'Don't tell me he's used to wearing that mesh crap when on the hunt since he was, what, six?' Misato thought. 'What does he wear in his off-time, a loincloth?'

"Where we going?"

"Hmm?"

Shinji saw that she was deep in thought as they walked together though a hallway, other personnel quickly stepping out of their way and raised his voice a bit, "Said _where we going_?"

Misato smiled, "To get some fresh air, that's where."

Shinji raised an eyebrow curiously and thought, 'Fresh air? We going to surface?'

The raven-haired woman smirked, "You'll see."

Misato led him towards a large steel door that slowly opened, allowing what appeared to be natural light into the hall past the security checkpoint. After flashing her ID to the guards present they stepped through, Shinji immediately shielding his eyes from the glare. He stepped through was surprised to not feel _fresh_ air on his face. When he finally opened his eyes…

What…?

Shinji was shocked to see a large, green field up ahead with a massive lake surrounded by woodland that seemed to stretch for miles. He wasn't shocked to see so much green in a very, very long time but that there was such expansive green in the Kanto area of the country known as Japan left at all. At least according to the information that was on the computers back on the mothership.

"This…is the GeoFront," Misato said. "This is where we'll start rebuilding the planet."

Misato smiled as Shinji stepped forward as if enchanted, and almost tripped over his own feet. He realised they were before stairs leading downwards towards the field. No longer shocked he suddenly begun to smile widely, before he started laughing and running down the staircase, ostensibly both happy and excited to be seeing so much green.

Incredible!Geofronts are really REAL! Merl'we wasn't faking it when she said she once broke through one to hunt one Arcturian amedha!

Take back, Misato's stopped smiling as she immediately realised he was going to tear his stiches again, "Hey, Shinji, SHINJI…WAIT UP!"

Shinji had just cleared the pavement area around the staircase when he tripped and fell onto the grass. He grunted, and felt his left hand subconsciously grip the vegetation. He lifted his face up off the ground and plucked the strands of grass and stared at it quietly.

Why am I so…happy to see grass?

"Shinji!"

Well, I did live on a rocky plateau for the past few years.

He rolled onto his bottom to see Misato running towards him, smiling. It faded when he saw that NERV HQ was a giant pyramid structure and he looked upward it's height his eyes focused onto the sky, and thought he could see the ceiling half-a-mile upward. It was then he felt scared, realising that this was the first time he was in a Geofront and that he was basically buried underground who knows how many miles underground.

"Hey Shinji!"

"Wha…?"

Shinji snapped out his daze to see Misato above him….

(SSJNYH)

…before bending over to help him up.

"You okay, Shinji?"

"Y-yeah," Shinji groaned, rubbing his shoulders.

Misato smiled once again, "Wow, Shinji. I take it you've never seen grass before."

He shook his head, "Have. Haven't for long time."

Shinji then looked up, then back at Misato and pointed upward.

"Sky has c-ceiling?"

"Of course, silly," Misato replied. "That's why they call it a GeoFront."

Shinji stared up at the sky again, taking note. He then looked back at her and took note of her smile, not remembering the last time he had seen a smile such as hers. He then returned her smile, before groaning and rubbing his side. Misato's smile disappeared.

"Yeah, you should take it easy," Misato said. "Wouldn't be nice to have to stitch you up again."

Shinji nodded, then looked around himself, "All this underground?"

Misato nodded again, feeling proudly despite herself, "Yep, human ingenuity is a beautiful thing, isn't it?"

Shinji looked at her confused, "Inge…? In-ge…? What?"

Misato sighed and dulled her head.

Psychological trauma notwithstanding, this kid's definitely going to be handful. Here's hoping he doesn't go berserk, flip out or whatever warrior thing he does and gut me.

**That reminds me…what's Rits doing with his tech anyway? Hope she doesn't blast her own fingers off playing around with it.**

**Actually…**

She smirked a bit.

**That'd be quiet funny.**

Shinji's eyebrows raised when he suddenly remembered, "Ayanami?"

Misato nodded, "Oh yeah. We can go see her if you'd like."

Smiling, Shinji replied as he stood back up and wiped the dust off his gown, "Okay."

(SSJNYH)

"…and you are absolute sure his technology is definitely not of human origin?"

"Tests on the sword reveal that the type of metal, not only is impervious to acid damage, but it does not correspond to any element on the periodic table. Same goes for the speartips and shuriken-weaponry recovered. The fabric of his mesh and armour are also unknown. It's all very interesting, Commander."

"…"

Gendo appeared indifferent to Ritsuko's personal awe of the technology NERV has just acquired off the extraterrestrial, which he knew was his own missing son. He had suspected that higher powers were involved in Shinji's disappearance, but didn't imagine hostile alien lifeforms being the reason. And he didn't expect Shinji to return as practically one of them, to fight like a berserker against possibly the most terrifying creature in the galaxy.

Like a _berserker_. He wasn't the same physically, mentally and emotionally insignificant specimen he remembered leaving at his late brother-in-law's residence. From reviewing the footage of Shinji's fight with the alien he was physically strong, agile and knowledgeable on the exotic weaponry he had used to terminate the creature and leave it to dissolve in it's own blood. The look on his face displayed determination the commander had never seen before.

He didn't turn the way he had planned, to Gendo he was warped beyond recognition. But he would still have a use for him.

"What of the Child?"

"He appears to have recovered from the injuries sustained days ago, and at quite a remarkable rate as well. Given his abnormal biological structure developed from living somewhere that is not on earth this is no surprise," Ritsuko explained. "And he appears to not be affected in any way by the large amount of scars on his person. However there is his concern for his emotional and mental well being."

"Could you be more specific, doctor?"

Ritsuko cleared her throat, "Well…it would appear that whoever abducted him eight years ago had intended to transform him into a living weapon from the moment he came under their control, judging from his proficiency with the nodachi at his current age, a sword generally impractical to wield, and the other weaponry recovered from him – which are varied; ranging from other close-combat weapons to long-range."

"So he was trained to use those weapons and equipment from age seven? Fourteen years old now and he is equal or more knowledgeable in killing than the most highly-trained assassin."

"Not to mention hardened, physically speaking," Ritsuko continued. "From reviewing city surveillance footage he has shown remarkably abnormal strength, agility and stamina uncommon for his age…"

"I've read the medical examiner's report, doctor," Gendo interrupted. "You do not have to go into specifics. We were discussing his mental condition, which is a different story if I understand?"

"Yes, sir. He becomes incredibly aggressive when he feels he's threatened, further suggesting that he had been living in a hostile environment and can be considered emotionally stunted, or at least when he's around other humans judging from curious behaviour around the First Child and Captain Katsuragi."

"_Other_ humans?"

"Sir, as far-fetched as the scenario is," Ritsuko glanced downward, unsure of what she was saying. "All the evidence suggests he was kidnapped by a non-human force, the same one possibly responsible for the deaths of Shinji's guardians."

"I see."

"Of course what I'm stating is speculation based on initial observations of Shinji," Ritsuko said. "We won't know for certain the full extent of Shinji's mental capacity until he is given a full psychiatric review…"

"There will be no need, Dr. Akagi," Gendo interrupted.

He smiled.

"Your initial observation of the boy is sufficient enough. You will designate him as the Third Child."

Ritsuko expected this; and yet became silent for a half-a-minute when she quickly thought about the ramifications of designating someone like Shinji with such a title and what would be expected of him and how he would handle it. She quickly thought of the negatives.

"Do you have any objections?"

"Sir, considering how we currently have no knowledge of whomever or whatever it was that abducted, trained and possibly programmed Shinji we have no idea if any negative effects, both to the pilot and to the EVA, he were to sync with it," Ritsuko explained. "Or even if he would agree to without having to resort to using force, which could cause further mental incapacitation. I recommend a complete psychiatric review of Shinji to better determine his capacity to pilot. We have at least four days."

"That is more than enough time for him to figure out what his priorities will be on his own, and they will be to NERV and to humanity's benefit," the Commander said.

He paused.

"Do you have anything to add?"

Ritsuko nodded, resigning Shinji to his fate. "Yes sir, I have noticed he has attached himself to Captain Katsuragi…"

(SSJNYH)

Test Facility #2

Shinji spared a passing glance at the sign both he and Misato passed by as they found themselves walking through HQ again. The boy-hunter was already growing restless as he had noticed they had passed by that same sing for the third time.

"Misato?"

"Yeah, Shinji?"

"You said Ayanami at facility two?"

"Uh…yeah, why?"

Shinji pointed at the sign, flustering Misato. She glared at him.

Oh, he can read after all…

"Oh…uh, yeah," Misato rolled her eyes, embarrassed. "Thanks for pointing…to that sign."

Shinji stared at her curiously, contemplatively.

"W-welcome," Shinji responded, unsure.

She inwardly sighed.

Great. He probably thinks I'm an idiot now. Nice way to commence human/whatever-the-hell-alien-race-he-kills-for relations.

(SSJNYH)

Weirdo.

"Still getting yourself lost I see, Captain Katsuragi? I swear have you _tried_ reading the directions?"

Misato spun around to see Ritsuko approaching them, clipboard in hand.

"Oh, Rits," Misato smiled nervously. "You finished up with your meeting with the Commander early?"

Shinji crossed his arms, rubbing his left shoulder slightly when he suddenly felt a chill pass over him.

Commander?

"I'm surprised in you, Misato," Ritsuko frowned. "The extraterrestrial was declared dangerous and you blatantly let him out of bed with risk to his health, and without an escort."

Misato returned the frown, expecting Ritsuko to come at her like this, "The doctor's cleared him and I've got my eye on him. Plus he's hardly dangerous at the moment."

"He's got blades in those wrist-devices, remember? Anytime he could extend them and everyone on the base could be in danger."

Shinji cleared his throat and both women turned to him.

"I stand here."

"Yes, I see that," Ritsuko said, passing by Misato so that she was standing in front of him. "You were brave to destroy that ship and fight that and defeat it single-handily."

Shinji smiled, proudly

"Not to mention idiotic."

It then faded.

"Wha…?

"Ritsuko!" Misato looked offended. "You didn't see the kid in action…"

"Yes I have, surveillance footage from the industrial sector," Ritsuko pointed out. "He recklessly charged that thing head on with a sword he could barely lift. What do you think would happen if he hadn't been able to kill it?"

Shinji creased his brow.

"Besides, that UFO; the one I'm assuming you blew up and nearly the whole city. Who knows what we could have learnt from it."

The boy scoffed…

Yeah, like how to die from a Kainde Amedha bursting out of your chest.

Misato smirked and looked over at Shinji, "I don't think Shinji-kun agrees with you, Rits-chan."

Shinji felt his cheeks burn slightly

"_Kun_, Misato? Really?"

Ritsuko shrugged.

"It's probably a good thing you've grown fond of Shinji here, because he'll be staying here for quite a long time."

Misato's smile faded, "Pardon me."

"The Commander has…expressed an interest in his reassimilation into human society, Katsuragi," Ritsuko said, "And whatever technology and knowledge he could care to share with us."

Shinji looked at her wryly…

**In your dreams!**

…before he remembered that his weapons and equipment were out of his hands. Shinji's eyes widened, before he balled his hands into fists and looked Ritsuko in the eye with a hard glare.

"Where my weapons are?" he demanded. "Where they?"

Ritsuko was taken back, more from his broken Japanese than the threat itself.

"They're safe, Shinji," Ritsuko replied.

He shook his head, "No…they not! I need them!"

Fearing that the wristblades could come out at any second, Misato looked at Ritsuko pleadingly, "I think you should give his stuff back to him. Someone might blow their fingers off playing around with it."

Ritsuko sighed, "I suppose…as an act of good faith."

Shinji closed his eyes and exhaled, calming himself down.

Alright, honour intact. One thing I don't have to worry about any more.

"Anyway, you were saying that Shinji was staying put?" Misato crossed her arms.

"Let's speak in here, shall we?" Ritsuko pointed at the door. "Katsuragi…_Shinji_."

Shinji frowned at being referred to by his 'ooman' name. He would have referred to himself by his clan name if he could pronounce it in ooman. So grudgingly he referred to himself by his 'real' first name. Somehow he got the feeling that Ritsuko knew that, and was deliberately trying to spurn him.

She shouldn't.

(SSJNYH)

Commencing reactivating test for 's vitals are stable.

Shinji heard the radio chatter as he found himself stepping into some kind of control centre with windows with a view of…total blackness. Technicians in tight-looking uniforms and headsets sat at computer consoles, some of them giving Shinji a nervous, sideward glance. Shinji looked back at them briefly, seeing them quickly look back at their console, flustered.

"Rei?" Misato called out. "Can you hear me?"

_Y-yes, ma'am._

Shinji's eyes lit up when she heard her voice, smiling lightly. Misato and Ritsuko noticed this, the latter appearing indifferent.

"Just hang in there," Misato said. "This won't take long, promise."

_Yes, ma'am._

Misato then frowned as she stood alongside Shinji, watching the unlit test chamber beyond the view windows, "What is the commander thinking, attempting to have Rei synch with the EVA in her condition?"

Still indifferent, Ritsuko replied, "Orders are to reattempt activation as soon as possible."

Misato shook her head, "What exactly happened to her and Unit-00, anyway?"

They noticed a couple of the technicians glance at one another uneasily, visibly worrying Shinji. Misato inwardly growled, annoyed at being kept in the dark.

"Long story, captain," Ritsuko replied. "Activate chamber lights."

Panicked, Misato's glanced at Shinji and was about to protest suddenly as the massive chamber before them lit up, allowing them to see what stood in the centre of it. Shinji's eyes widened when his eyes laid before the source of Rei Ayanami's voice.

NO WAY!

A bipedal, blue-coloured armour plated, one-eyed machine entity. Shinji's mouth was agape as he stepped closer towards the front of the observation centre, Ritsuko following up.

"What…is it?" Shinji asked out loud.

"This is, Shinji, what we refer to as Artificial Human Evangelion Prototype Zero," Ritsuko explained to a shell-shocked Shinji. "A biomechanical all-purpose battle weapon."

"Biome-chanical?"

"It is a machine that is alive."

"W-weapon?"

Misato sighed, "Yeah. Once again…human ingenuity at work, god-forbid."

"A-Ayanami inside?"

"Yes," Ritsuko said, now speaking slowly as if to make sure Shinji can understand. "She is the pilot of this Evangelion?"

"T-this? There more?"

Misato glared over at the doctor, seeing that she was deliberately overwhelming the young man, "Ritsuko, I think you should stop talking right now before…"

Shinji tuned out everything around him as he stared out the window at the gigantic monstrosity that appeared to be staring right back at him, becoming more agitated as each second passed.

The Pyode Amedha have built these…monstrosities? For battle? For WAR!

Mother has to know! The clan has to know! I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!

Just as he was starting to really panic…

"Shinji?"

He jumped when he felt Misato's hand on her shoulder and was about to extend his wristblade when he quickly regained control of himself and spun around to face the recoiled Misato.

"Y-yes?"

"You okay?"

"Uh…"

He glanced at Unit-00, then back at Misato where he nodded his head.

"Yes."

Ritsuko spared Shinji another glance, then noticed something else was amiss.

'Ikari should be here,' she thought. 'He never misses Rei's sync tests, I didn't think he would miss this. Unless…'

She eyed Shinji again, seeing him look out the window towards Unit-00. He appeared…hopeful.

'Unless he didn't want to reveal himself to Shinji…God knows what would happen if he did and how the little berserker would react.'

"Dr. Akagi?"

All eyes turned to Maya Ibuki at her station as she called out.

"Brainwaves indicate the pilot has lost consciousness," she appeared worried as she reported. "Activation of Unit-00 is no longer possible."

Shinji turned to Misato worriedly, whom was biting her lip and cursing inwardly. Ritsuko simply sighed.

"Eject the plug, cancel the test. Return her to the trauma unit, stat."

"Yes ma'am."

Misato crossed her arms and stared at Ritsuko intently, "No surprise there, Rits. She is, of course, a seriously injured human being."

Ritsuko turned and left, saying, "Whatever you say."

Then Misato suddenly remembered…

"Hey! You said Shinji was staying?" she called out after her as the two of them stepped out of observation and into the hallway. "With NERV, you mean?"

"Eh?" the boy glanced at Misato and Ritsuko alternately, confused.

"The Commander has requested that he be confined to a private apartment within the GeoFront until Commander determines the extent of how NERV should deal with him," Ritsuko explained with no emotion, or sympathy.

Misato stared at Ritsuko, incredulously, shoulder's slump, eyes widened.

"Can he do that, I mean…isn't that illegal? Keep him here the GeoFront without making him an official member of NERV? We'd practically be holding him against his will!"

"Hell of a lot better than turning him over to the military, after slicing and setting those grunts on fire. Not to mention those butchers in the scientific community," Ritsuko shrugged. "They'll practically nail him by his hands and feet to a table and vivisect him. And he would be safe from whomever kidnapped him, in case they come back to get him."

Shinji frowned.

Like HELL! I'll fight my way out of here!

"Unless of course you have an alternative, captain?" Ritsuko smiled.

"Yeah," Misato smiled back, narrowing her eyes. "He can stay with _me_."

Ritsuko looked at him oddly, "Captain."

Shinji calmed down and actually looked perplexed.

Ritsuko then addressed Shinji, "Well?"

"Uh…?"

Shinji noticed a few of the male technicians glaring at him, as if with jealously, before quickly looking away as he stared their way.

"Wh-what?"

"Do you have a problem with staying with Captain Katsuragi until we decide…what to do with you?"

Shinji eyes lit up with interest…

Opportunity to escape…Taken!

…before he smiled lightly and shook his head, "No."

"Glad to hear it."

Shinji's smile faded and he resumed staring at Unit-00, wondering he would see Ayanami in the flesh sometime soon, instead of the giant biomechanical monstrosity staring back at him. Misato regarded him, still trying to get her head around him and his changing behavioural pattern. That three days ago he behaved like a feral animal and took down something bigger and, apparently, less dangerous than him and now he was behaving like an awkward teenager.

Or child.

_Child_ was the word. This was proof that he hadn't been anywhere near human civilisation for years, and now that he was amongst his own kind again…she could imagine it would be unsettling for him and didn't want him to be practically left alone by himself on the GeoFront, not when she herself desired company besides her pet hot spring penguin.

And now, realisation set in that he was being released into her care…she had no idea how he was going to handle.

'This…is going to be hard,' she thought worriedly to herself.

"Well, let's go see if we can catch Rei as they wheel her back in," Misato said.

Shinji turned and followed her out, noticing that Ritsuko was watching them leave.

'Well she's nothing if not predictable,' Ritsuko thought smugly. 'And Shinji…I think I'm starting to know what to make of him.'

(SSJNYH)

"Hey wait up!"

The coat-wearing doctor and the two nurses accompanying him stopped wheeling the gurney carrying Ayanami. Shinji was intrigued to see her wearing a arm-less skin-tight white suit with the numbers 00 emblazoned in black on the front, and scowled at the fact that she had just been inside that machine in her condition He and Misato walked up to her.

Smiling reassuringly, Misato replied, "How are you feeling, Rei?"

"I feel…pain, captain," Rei croaked back.

The blue-haired girl then noticed Shinji, wondering why he was still here on the GeoFront. She automatically assumed that he had to either be a the GeoFront without the proper clearance. She noticed his eyes waver as he stared back at her.

"I-Ikari?"

Shinji nodded, smiling. "You hurt?"

"Y-yes."

"Bad?"

With no idea how to answer that, she glanced at Misato.

"She'll be fine, Shinji," Misato replied, still smiling. "She just needs to rest."

She nodded at the doctors and they proceeded to wheel her away, just before she had the chance to look at Shinji again. The boy's smiled disappeared as she disappeared down the hallway, and sighed.

Misato looked at him, curiously.

Well…he is at that age where he _should_ be interested in girls. I'd be concerned if had flat out ignored her.

She tapped his shoulder and he turned his head towards him, suddenly.

"Let's…uh…go home, eh? You'll stuff will be waiting for you there."

"Home?"

"Yeah."

(SSJNYH)

"It would appear that the beginning phases of the Scenario can be carried out after all, thanks in part to the recovery of the designated Third Child."

Gendo sat at one end of the holographic table before a terminal screen while sitting on either side of said tables were four other older men each dressed identically. He was, however, entirely focused on the man sitting at the opposite end of the table – an elderly, white haired and partially cybernetic grim-looking man wearing a visor.

Chairman Keel Lorenz of the _Committee_.

"However, Ikari, there are concerns if the candidate is able to perform his duty, which you are _yet_ to assign him," Keel added sharply. "From reading the initial reports on him, his behaviour and his perceived mindset it would be difficult to…convince…him to serve towards the betterment of mankind."

"You shouldn't concern yourself," Gendo replied, stoic. "We have the Third back now, and that is just the start..."

"Not good enough, Ikari," the yellow-coded French Committee member interrupted. "If you plan to break him, to forcefully bend him to your will then it will fail. And miserably if I may add."

"He's alien, a demon in human flesh, a Spartan, a berserker. Either of those terms and many more," the blue-coded Russian Committee member stated bluntly. "For as long as he has been off our world he has known only violence. It has hardened him to the point we may not be able to control him. He is a warrior, not only in mind and body, but spirit as well."

"Therefore we must employ more subtle, gradual, even gentle means," the blue-coded British Committee member said. "We must appeal to him and his most primal values. We assume you have ideas, Ikari."

Gendo nodded, "I do. I will make him value human life, and he will go to any lengths to safeguard it."

"As humanity will be _made_ to believe that the Angels have come to destroy them," the red-coded American Committee members replied. "Those that had taken the Third and had from us will come back for him. Either for him, or for his life."

"Yes," Keel reasoned. "Will they hinder the Scenario, or will they compliment it? That is the question?"

"I will know soon enough," Gendo said. "No doubt you will as well."

"Of course," Keel replied. "We have eyes and ears everywhere. _That_ you already know."

After a brief pause…

"This meeting is adjourned."

(SSJNYH)

"Shinji? Hey Shinji?"

In the front passenger seat of Misato's Asphault Shinji, now dressed in casual black shirt and jeans, stirred from a light slumber, quickly looking over at Misato quickly.

Not allowing him to go into a panic, Misato smiled, "You fell asleep just as we were ascending out of the GeoFront, remember?"

Shinji nodded and wiped the sweat off his brow, "Tired. Took too long going up."

Misato rolled her eyes and sighed, "Tell me about it."

Shinji looked out the window, seeing that it was now night time and they were driving across a lit freeway. He had a blank expression as his eyes focused on each individual lamppost they passed by. Misato alternated between looking ahead at the empty road and at Shinji, trying to find ways to keep the ice from forming, figuratively speaking.

"It's been a long time since you were here, I take it?"

"Yes," Shinji replied.

"Did you miss this?" Misato asked. "Missed Earth, I mean."

He looked over at her and replied, "No."

Misato sighed, "I can't say I blame you."

Shinji appeared interested.

"Things aren't getting better, that's for sure," Misato said, forlorn. "I'm hoping that we can change that."

"_We_?"

"OH…" Misato suddenly cried, sounding up beat. "Here we are."

"Where?"

"Home."

Shinji looked out the window to see that they had stopped right in front of a large apartment complex.

"Home?" Shinji queried as Misato unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

"Yep, _our_ little slice of paradise," the older woman stated, before ducking her head back into the car. "And the sooner your get out of the car and help me carry some things inside the sooner we can turn in for the night."

Shinji's looked at her blankly, before he smiled and nodded. "Ok."

Unknown to them, especially and remarkably Shinji, they were being watched from a nearby tree in the middle of the parking lot. It focused it's attention equally between the adolescent male human and the adult female woman, as if comparing the two of them. It watched them walk towards the front entrance of the building, the woman carrying a duffel bag over her shoulder.

It chortled slightly.

'You lucky little tetch'na. Were it not for her face she would be a goddess.'

(SSJNYH)

"Here we are, good old number 35. I just moved her myself so I should probably warn you: It's a little messy."

Shinji and followed Misato throughout the complex until they stood outside the door into her lodgings.

"Your equipment should be inside," Misato said, then groused. "Yeah, Section 2's got a copy of everyone's keys."

Producing a keycard she swiped it and the door slid open. Shinji's eyes widened at the state of the apartment, especially the kitchen area, as both he and his new guardian stepped inside. Shinji narrowed his eyes in a cynical manner.

'A little messy? Yeah, sure…' his thoughts were just as cynical.

"Now, what to have for dinner?" Misato thought aloud. "Something quick and easy. Oh Shinji…"

"Yes?"

"Could you put throw what's in your left hand in the fridge over there."

"Ok."

Noticing that the bag he was carrying in his left hand was full of foodstuff he opened the fridge, noticing that it was completely full of yellow steel cans with the word _Yebisu_ written on all of them.

'Yebisu, what kind of drink is that?' Shinji thought. 'This fridge of full of it.'

He then looked at the bag of food he had in his hand.

'Nothing else will fit.'

He then looked over his shoulder at Misato, who was humming to herself as she was preparing a couple of instant dinners.

'There's something very weird about this female,' Shinji thought. 'Like she's become a different person.'

Shinji shrugged and closed the fridge door, stepping over towards the kitchen counter and put the bags on it. Misato stopped what she was doing, her smile faded as she appeared serious.

"Eh…Shinji?"

"Yes?"

"You know," she started smiling again. "Since you and I are going to be living together…"

Shinji noticed her balling her right hand into a fist, and immediately felt caution rise up inside of him.

"…we need to get this out of the way right now."

Shinji's eyes widened and he smiled nervously, "Wha…what?"

Misato then suddenly lunged forward towards him, shaking her fist.

"ROCK, PAPER…"

She 'turned' her fist into a 'rock' and held in front of Shinji's face as the adolescent predator stood there, staring plainly at her. Misato immediately sweatdropped at his, or lack of, reaction.

Shinji cocked her head towards her, "Misato?"

Now embarrassed, Misato stuttered, "Y-you know how to play 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' right?"

"Rock, Paper, Scissors?"

"Wha…?" Misato cried, scandalously. "You've never played Rock, Paper, Scissors when you were a kid?"

"No?" Shinji replied, unsure.

Misato slapped her forehead and sighed.

"Uhhh…guess we're going to have to divide the chores another way then."

Shinji's eyes widened.

'Chores?' he thought. He then frowned, 'Gah…I've done enough chores back home to last me a whole lifetime? Don't tell me I'm going to have to clean this hole as well?'

He then looked around, getting a feel for his surroundings.

'Suppose it'll be easier then cleaning a cave and if it'll keep me on this woman's good side.'

He then inwardly frowned.

'But the second she starts treating me like a slave…'

Misato suddenly and impulsively smelt the air around her.

"Shinji?" Misato stated. "Eh…when was the last time you showered?"

"Showered?"

"Yeah…as in washed yourself?" Misato crossed her arms underneath her chest. "Cause' I'm sure the nurses didn't give you a sponge bath while you were out of it."

Shinji stared at her plainly once again, eliciting another worried sigh from her. He then smelled his left arm pit, his eyes then widened and he recoiled slightly.

"Yeah, notice you smell a bit ripe?" Misato smiled. "Why don't you take a shower and I'll fix dinner? Bathroom's down the hall."

Shinji looked down the hall from where the kitchen and dining area was, then proceeded to walk towards it. Misato suddenly and hastily added…

"You do…know how to use a shower, right?"

Shinji looked over his shoulder at her. He nodded then continued on his way, disappearing down the hall. Misato breathed a sigh of relief and rested her head on his hands and her elbows on the counter.

Phew…glad he remembers _some_ things about taking care of himself and that'll spare me showing him how to…ewwww…

Her face went red.

…Embarrassing thoughts. Bad girl…bad Misato. Still…

She smiled.

Maybe this won't be so hard after all.

(SSJNYH)

CHIK-CHAK!

CHIK-CHAK!

Shinji safely removed his wrist computer and the devices around his arms and placed them near the sink, noticing his skin the devices covered was slightly pale, having the devices on his arms for a long time. He then watched his reflection in the mirror as he stripped himself, mentally counting the number of scars on his body and remembering the story behind each of them.

His first two scars on his left and right cheek when he first encountered the Kainde Amedha.

Five of them he received during training. Only two of them from his mother Gaun, and the rest of them from one of them more unforgiving teachers

Two of them during an off-world excursion where he had a near fatal experience with the Arcturians.

Three of them during his fight with the entity Bardiel when he was ten years old.

The long scar travelling down the length of his back, sustained by the Bad Blood who badly hurt Merl'we.

And those four fresh ones from his fight with the Kainde Amedha Queen. In all, sixteen scars in total.

Soon he was beneath the running water, quickly managing to figure out what those two taps were full: Hot and Cold. Even though spending so much time with the Yautja made his previous life on Earth a shadow, an almost forgotten memory, he still remembered some of the basics about living like an ooman, which to him was convenient.

He sighed as he ran his hands through his hair and tried to figure out his next move. He knew that this 'nerve' organisation had their hooks into him and were watching his every move now, and he couldn't risk contacting his fellow Hunters and risk getting them captured and having their technology (and not to mention honour) stripped from them. From being treated well and having his tech returned to him he a feeling that they wanted something else from him and he was in a seemingly inescapable position to give it to them. And they looked to be the kind of people that would force him to deliver.

His only ally, for the moment at least, was Misato Katsuragi. To him her kindness and easy-going personality made her a complete curiosity. He partly expected her to take pity on him, to only see him as an emotionally and mentally stunted child soldier that needed as much non-violent companionship and compassion as possible. He was more than willing to take advantage of her if it meant escape and, if need be, to get closer to his intended target: The only tie to this world he needed to erase. To kill him and take his skull and become a Blooded hunter, and therefore an adult.

But what he didn't expect is for her to heap upon him almost unheard of kindness. That is to take him into her home and offer to be his guardian for the duration of his time spent her. He could see in her eyes that she was sincere, and lonely.

"SQUAWK!"

He thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud-pitched avian squawk from right next to his left leg. He looked down, and froze when he saw he wasn't alone in the shower.

The source of that loud-pitched avian squawk looked right up at him curiously.

(SSJNYH)

Misato couldn't keep a smile off her face as she sat at the table and with her first Yebisu of the evening to her lips, with her dinner in front of her and untouched, Shinji's own food ready for him along with an extra chair on the other side of the table.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

One loud animalistic, primal scream was not enough to deter Misato as she took a sip of Yebisu, sighing and mentally scolding herself for not telling him about their other room-mate Pen-Pen. She only stopped drinking when said bird came squawking with terror out of the bathroom and jumping up onto her lap, shivering with fright. The shutters opened violently to reveal a wet, naked and angry Shinji Curved Blade wearing his wrist-equipment with blades extended, intent on skinning the bird alive.

Misato dropped her can of Yebisu at the sight of the physically scarred, naked hunter. "S-Shinji?"

He pointed at Pen-Pen, threateningly, "What that thing? What that thing is?"

"This is…uh…Pen-Pen, a new breed of warm-water penguin," Misato awkwardly said, taken back by the sight of Shinji. Not his nudeness, mind, but the amount of scarring on his torso, arms and legs. "He's living…here with us. Y'know, like a pet…"

"P-pet?" Shinji repeated.

"Yes."

Shinji relaxed, straightening his back and appearing pensive. "Oh. Sorry."

"Uh…Shinji…"

"Yes?"

She pointed at him, "You're…uh…undressed…"

He looked down at himself as if it wasn't a big deal. He then looked at her plainly. "So?"

"So…could you…maybe put…some clothes on?" Misato iterated cautiously; still shocked by the sight of him and trying to keep looking into his eyes, yet found herself looking him over.

Over the ungodly amount of scars he had, to be precise.

Shinji turned around and disappeared and back into the bathroom, closing the shutters behind him and giving Misato a brief look at his back, and not to mention his behind. The woman cringed, seeing even more scars on his back, and felt her blood run cold when she noticed the big one that ran the whole length of his back.

She put her hand to her mouth, still in shock but now her eyes wavering in disbelief.

"What kind of fucking creature would put a kid through…_that_?" she said to herself.

Pen-Pen squawked up at her and she subconsciously rubbed his forehead affectionately.

"I have no idea, Pen-Pen. Suppose it was worth asking, though."

(SSJYNH)

'Wow…this is bigger than my little space back on the ship.'

Fully clothed, Shinji stepped into the spare bedroom to see it fully furnished. A small desk, chair and a soft-looking single bed, with a steel briefcase on top of it. He stepped over to it and slowly opened it, and was relieved to seed it was full of his equipment but set in protective foam. His sword, his bio-mask, his combistick, his plasma-caster, his speargun, his remaining shurukin and speartips and his small-antiquated plasma gun.

Feeling cautious, Shinji activated his wrist computer and scanned it over his equipment. Immediately it started beeping and a holographic image of his bio-mask broadcasted, a red dot flashing on the forehead indicating a foreign presence. Frowning, Shinji reached for his mask and reached inside, his fingers coming across something ting, round and metal.

He reached for his dagger and pried the object out of his mask. Holding it between his left pointer and thumb, he tapped it with his right pointer before scanning it.

Either they think I'm stupid or they expected me to find this.

He dropped on the floor and put his heel down on it hard, destroying it.

What's next?

"Shinji!"

He heard Misato call out to him.

"Your food's getting cold."

On cue his rubbed his growling stomach and smiled.

(SSJNYH)

"AHHHHHHHH! Nothing like a cold beer after a long, hard day's work!"

Doing what exactly, if I may ask myself?

Having gotten over being bombarded with Shinji's hideously scarred nudity while slicing up Pen-Pen in a primal rage, Misato was happy guzzling down a Yebisu as Shinji, ignoring his knife and folk, picked at his food with his finger, resting his elbow on the table and his head on his hand.

Shinji's eyes lit up with delight when he finally put a piece of shrimp in his mouth, immediately savouring the taste and memories that flooded into his mind of his youth on Earth. Misato noticed and put her beer down.

"Wow, nice to see someone who enjoys my cooking for once," Misato smiled.

Shinji looked over at her, surprised

He then shrugged, "Food's food."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Misato replied, cheerily.

He then continued eating the rest of the shrimp, licking the juices off his finger. Misato stared as Shinji slowly ate small bite full with only his fingers, once again thinking about how his life must have been like off planet Earth.

Just by seeing this we can establish the bastards who held him don't use knives and forks and probably sit on the ground around a flaming spit at dinner time.

Jeez…it's like watching a tribal.

She then shook her head.

No scratch that! A tribal warrior!

Aw shit…I'm actually calling him a tribal, like someone who lives in a hut or a cave. I'm such a bitch!

"Done."

"Huh?" Misato looked up from her plate.

He sat up, wiping his hands on his flannel. "Done eating."

Misato looked at his still full plate.

"You know you haven't eaten in three days and just had little bit of what's on your plate," Misato pointed out. "Don't tell me you're actually full."

Shinji shook his head, "Still hungry. But can't eat much of new food. Otherwise…"

He pointed at his stomach and grimaced painfully. Misato took the hint.

"Oh…"

Smart kid. Probably does this every time he's forced to eat something nasty each time he goes to another planet to kill something ever nastier.

He turned and started towards the hallway.

"Where are you going now?"

"Tired," Shinji replied. "Sleep now."

He looked over his shoulder, smiling lightly, and sincerely at her. Misato suddenly felt her cheeks burn slightly, much to her surprise.

"Thank you, Misato Katsuragi."

He slid open the door into his room and closed it gently behind him, leaving Misato sitting there, dumbfounded, cheeks still red. Her guest that had just turned in for the night wasn't the determined, fearless alien hunter that had blow up an alien spacecraft and taken down an overgrown space bug…except when he had just almost beheaded Pen-Pen. Now he was just a quiet, slightly introverted, confused and possibly traumatised adolescent that had attached himself to her. Without his sword he was…a different person.

Then again, Misato herself was a radically different person when out of uniform. She stopped blushing and looked down at Pen-Pen, who was looking up at her from his small bowl of fish. He cocked his head at her and Misato sighed.

She then quietly resumed eating.

'I think taking him out of NERV was a mistake,' she thought. 'God help me, I have no idea how to deal with a kid like him.'

(SSJNYH)

Shinji grunted as he tossed, turned and tried to get comfortable on the soft mattress, which was a switch from what he was used to sleeping on back in his cave back on the homeworld. While he appreciated the extra head support in the form of a pillow, he was used to the soft-mixed-with-rock-hard feeling that only moss on the cave ground could provide.

He sighed and sat up on the bed. Two hours into the night and he just couldn't sleep; not when he needed to get back on the hunt that he had his tech back and could just simply disappear again. His fellow Yautja would know by now that the vessel carrying the Kainde Amedha was destroyed and the Queen having dissolved in a pool of her own blood. Now he just needed to find the man who ruined his life and present his head to his clan, then he would have proven more than enough to be Blooded and truly be part of the clan.

But he felt tired, and those three days unconscious in an ooman infirmary didn't exactly count as rest. He looked down at the floor next to the bed, which to him looked very comfortable. Tossing the covers off he grabbed his pillow and hurled it onto the ground, before getting off the bed and lying down on the ground, resting his head on the pillow.

After a few minutes he begun to drift, the carpet and the steel underneath it feeling comfortable to him. Another few minutes later he fell asleep.

Another hour later Misato came to check up on him and was surprised to see Shinji lying on the ground. That was when she stopped recollecting and last remembered sitting on the ground next to his door.

She sighed as she stood up and walked back to her room, slowing closing his door behind her.

(SSJNYH)

Another hour later…

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Shinji's left wrist-comp beeped and he woke up with a start, fully recognising that sound. He yawned, grimaced, then opened the panel on it, revealing a holographic projection of the apartment complex he was in and a green dot blaring on the rooftop.

He smiled, 'Mother, Nam, Merl'we! They found me!'

It then faded when he realised their illogical decision to contact him.

'They know I've been compromised. They wouldn't risk coming to get me and risk being captured. Unless…unless they know what they doing…yeah…'

He looked absolute in his reasoning.

"They know what they're doing."

Getting off the floor and making sure his eyes were adjusted to the dark he reached for his shorts and slipped then on. He then opened the steel briefcase, reached for his mask and put it on. Immediately his point of view was flooded with heat vision. He could make out Misato's sleeping form lying on her bed through the walls.

He blushed lightly, seeing that it was her exact outline. He then slowly rolled his bedroom door open and crept through the apartment towards the baloney. Following a failed attempt to open the glass door the first time, he saw that it was locked and, searching through his childhood memories, released the lock on it and stepped outside.

"Sqwark?"

Shinji froze when he recognised that sound. He turned around to see that avian with a glass of water in his left hand standing behind him, looking up at him curiously. Shinji narrowed his eyes glaringly at the creature, before raising his finger to his lips in a shush motion, then moved his thumb towards his neck in a 'I'll-slit-your-throat-if-you-dare -squawk-again motion.' The bird seemed to take the hint as his pupils diluted a bit in shock and he slowly but surely disappeared back into the kitchen and into his fridge, closing the door behind it slowly as if not to wake up Misato.

Smart little critter!

He shut the sliding door behind him and stepped onto the balcony. Looking upward he mentally scaled the height of the apartment complex from where he stood. He noticed the smooth slope that reached upward near the roof. He raised his gloved hands and tiny blades extended from his fingertips. He climbed up onto the railing and leapt over toward the slope, planting his feet onto the surface and driving his blades into the concrete. He then begun to climb up the building, noticing the large, bulky translucent figure standing on the rooftop, illuminated by the moonlight.

Nam. It has to be him. He always makes sure reaching him is difficult. It's because of him I scaled the largest rock back on the home world…

He climbed up as far as the slope went and climbed up to the smooth surface where it ends. He stood up and surveyed Tokyo-03, as if he were ready to go hunting.

"Curved Blade."

He turned around to see the large, bulky eight-foot tall monster of a humanoid materialising behind him. His smooth, metallic, gothic-looking mask the first thing he notices which complimented the heavy looking yet lightly jointed and connected armour he wore.

"M-di'h'dlak!" he bellowed at the boy.

"M-di'h'dlak. None at all," Shinji replied, his voice distorted by his mask.

"For killing the Kainde Amedha almost single-handily," Nam punched him in the shoulder affectionately. "We all watched. And honestly…"

He sounded softer.

"…I thought that they would mean the end of you."

Shinji took his mask off so that Nam could see his expression.

"Well, they weren't."

"And the oomans captured you afterwards," Nam growled in warning. "You still have your equipment? The ones that are NOT attached to you."

Shinji nodded hurriedly, "They gave it all back to me."

"They gave it back to you?"

"An act of goodwill, I think," Shinji answered. He then snorted, "Right after those oomans dragged me down into the GeoFront."

"GeoFront?" Nam questioned. "Like what Merl'we claimed to have smashed through to hunt one perverted Arcturian?"

"Yeah," Shinji sighed. "They're real. And I just escaped from one thanks to a female ooman."

"Female, eh?" Nam smirked behind his mask and crossed his arms. "The one I just saw you enter that building with?"

Shinji growled, not appreciating what he was suggesting, "I think she's trying to keep me under her thumb. Her…this organisation called 'nerve'. Some guy called The Commander runs the show and I think they've got plans for me if they're willing to give me back my tech."

"Hmm," Nam tapped the side of his mask.

"Also, they've got bio-weapons stored down there."

"Bio-weapons?"

Shinji gritted his teeth and closed his eyes shut in frustration, "They have mecha, biomechanical. What they call Artificial Human Evangelion."

Nam was silent for a few seconds, and Shinji could tell he was shocked behind his bio-mask, "You are kidding me, Curved Blade? It is not in your best interests to joke about this!"

Shinji uncharacteristically glared at him and replied, "No, I'm not."

"This is bad. They weren't suppose to be at this technological level!" Nam stated angrily. He then thought, 'Which means they salvaged whatever was left of the Giant of Light after all.'

He then clicked his mandibles in thought.

'The clan elder will be interested in this. VERY interested.'

Shinji sighed again, "What happens now."

"Now?" Nam looked down at him. "Now you just stay put. We need to know what these oomans are up to you and you're in a very convenient position. If you're as important to them as you say you are then they wouldn't risk harming you or putting you in a position where you would be forced to fight back."

Shinji shook his head, "They could be watching me right now, talking to you. They could be watching the both of us."

"So? It is not like certain oomans don't know we exist," Nam brushed him off. "And if they happen to be watching us right now, they will not act against us for fear of turning you against them….at least not yet."

He then squatted before him, balling his left hand into a fist

"Then we will deal with them appropriately. This much I vow."

Shinji smiled, raising his right fist and touching it against his. It was there that when Shinji was finally starting to relax that the older Predator decided to changed the subject.

"I see that you are living with said ooman female."

Shinji nodded, uncertain, "Yeah. She said I could stay with her until they decide what to do with me."

"She looks older than you."

"You noticed?"

"Yes, and you were naked before her and she looked like she enjoyed what she saw. I could learn a thing or too you when it comes to my own mates."

"Y-y-you saw that?" Shinji panicked.

"You do remember that now that you're at breeding age and practically Blooded you'll be expected to start siring pups?" Nam's mandibles twisted into a smirk. "Seriously, I think she'd be perfect as your mate."

Shinji face suddenly reddened even deeper and he stuttered, "Wha…what?"

"You heard me clearly, Curved Blade," Nam continued, enjoying making the ooman Predator squirm, "I've watched her through the walls of this here building. Even for a piece of Pyode Amedha she has such a body I wouldn't mind taking for myself if it weren't for her size and her face."

He scowled at his friend as he went on, quietly and huskily, inching his face closer to Shinji's left ear

"Her long, exotic hair. Those large, supple breasts. Those wide, pup bearing hips," Nam teased him relentlessly. "From watching you two fight the Kainde Amedha your relentless, unyielding strength, her intelligence and determination as sharp as ki cti-pa, it all equals to your seemingly perfect offspring…

"Enough!" Shinji sounded offended, his red face turning a deeper hue by the second.

"Well of course that will only happen once you have her lying before you, where you begin to put your seemingly unlimited stamina to better use. Take it from me, I could give you a few pointers on how to please your mates…"

Shinji's left eyelid twitched, "I'm getting angry now."

"What do you think Merl'we, the supposed most desirable female in the clan, would have to say about her?" Nam pressed on relentlessly. "I bet she would be _pretty_ jealous of her. Or she just might think she just found her long lost sister."

"Uhhhhhh…." Shinji buried his face in his hands. "Kill me now."

His eyes shot open and he cringed as he felt Nam slapped him in the shoulder playfully.

"Seriously, you're not afraid of mating, right? I know all females are bigger and stronger than us and I still remember that I was a bit nervous when it came to my first time…"

"Wha…wha…NO!" Shinji exclaimed quickly. "I-I just don't think it's appropriate to do that with Misato…"

"Then you should browse through the city for someone that is appropriate," Nam said. "And take your time while you do it since we will be spending a whole season here...even after you claim _his_ skull."

"What?" Shinji looked up at him, outraged. "Why?"

Nam then sounded serious, "Because that is how long we will need if we have deal with this 'nerve' organisation. And what they are keeping down there could threaten this world and the prey on it. For future generations still waiting to test themselves, this planet must still remain inhabitable."

He then crouched low so that his masked face was inches from Shinji.

"You understand this, right Shinji?"

'Shinji' glared, "My name is Curved Blade."

"Exactly! To us you are no longer human, but you are not Predator either…yet" Nam stood up straight. "Once you have claimed the skull of your only connection to this world then you can be considered one of us. Until then, things will play out the way they should."

"You want me to stay with 'nerve?'

Nam tapped a few buttons his wrist-comp, "Find out what they are up to. We can monitor everything they do from your comp from the ship. We will act once the time is right."

He then began to cloak….

"Good luck, Curved Blade. Whenever you need us, we will know. And we will be there. Count on it."

…and disappeared from sight, leaving Shinji standing there on the roof of the apartment complex. He looked down at himself, still glaring and starting to become angry at the prospect of being used. Not by his clansmen, but by the oomans.

Great.

He put his mask back on, immediately switch to thermal where he immediately glanced downward through the many heat signatures until his HUD picked Misato's sleeping, practically naked outline. Remembering Nam's teasing immediately made him blush and he begun to feel warm and fuzzy inside. He mentally cursed himself…

This is going to be hard.

(SSJNYH)

Having watched the exchange between human and Yautja from space via satellite from his desk Peter Weyland bristled his chin intently, knowing that the Predators were once again on Earth, having cleaned out the 'xenomorphs', but now appeared to be staying put. He was intrigued that this youngster was among them, and apparently one of them, but he was even more intrigued that it was determined that he was Gendo Ikari's son.

Gendo _and_ Yui Ikari's son to be precise. Weyland smiled, remembering Yui from way back; from slightly better times.

"Let's see what your son can do, dear Yui."

He then pushed the speaker button on his phone.

"Mary?"

_Yes, Mr. Weyland._

"Put me through to Schaefer. I got a job for him…"

(SSJNYH)

M-di'h'dlak – No fear

Looks like Curved Blade and the hell he's being through has Misato rethinking how she should act as his guardian, and she's finding it difficult because of her own…baggage. And Shinji's acting all bipolar? I mean, against his enemies he's a deadly force. In front of Misato and possibly other people he's…well…a mix of animeverse and mangaverse Shinji that speaks broken Japanese, and in front of his Yautja/Predator compatriots he's cynical, irritable and somewhat embarrassed.

Well, this is all I can do for this chapter. What do you think of that? Any thoughts? Any suggestions and how to handle the characters? Seriously, Evangelion is complex when it comes to what goes through the characters' heads.

And time for an Omake, my first one…and I'm sure this has happened at least _once_ to every fan fic writer…at least in their minds anyway…heh…

-OMAKE-

"Uhhhhh …no…no…DEFINITELY no …"

The Author was reclining on his chair, his feet on the computer desk, a notepad on his stomach and a pen in his mouth. Empty cans of Sprite littered his computer room floor, having being drunk over a period of one hour as he racked his brain for more fan fiction ideas.

Suddenly…

"I GOT IT! PERFECT CROSSOVER"

He quickly sat up on his chair and begun typing away at his empty Word Document…

"So perfect…no one's ever thought of it before!"

He then heard fierce pounding on his front door. With his pen still in his mouth he got off his chair and walked over to the door. Throwing it open…

"Yeah, what can I…"

…he immediately felt a strong arm grasp him by the neck and lift him off the floor.

"AWWWKKK…DA FUCK?"

"YOU DARE TO INCLUDE ME IN YOUR LITTLE FANTASY?" the man who had knocked on his door bellowed at him as he held in the air.

"K-Kratos?" the Author choked out, recognise the ghostly-looking, bald-headed, tattooed, angry looking spartan warrior

"I WILL NOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT COWARDLY LITTLE WORM AND HIS TITAN ABOMINATION! YOU HEAR ME, SCRIBE?"

The Author quickly, the mere presence of the Ghost of Sparta in real life immediately blowing his mind.

"Good," Kratos spoke calmer. "Now…"

He was then hurled across the living and slammed into the wall, cracking the paper. He then slid down onto the ground. He then pulled out a small notepad.

DO NOT CROSS EVANGELION OVER WITH…

Killzone

Call of Duty

Madworld

…and he added to it.

God of War.

And then promptly lost consciousness for the fourth time…in one day.

* * *

Heh heh, so what do you think?

Oh, and 'God of War' is owned by Sony Computer Entertainment and Santa Monica.


	9. Chapter 8: Not Human

Disclaimer: See the Prologue

_When I saw how many reviews Chapter 7 received after putting it up, I immediately played the song 'Spaceman' from __**Babylon Zoo**__ and that sure as hell inspired me to keep writing. Thanks to all of you who gave me your opinion._

_Sorry for the delay. It originally started off as one long chapter, but I've decided just to make it two._

_Anyway, enjoy…next chapter won't be long…_

* * *

Chapter 8 – Not Human

* * *

**From what you have told me about him and how he abandoned you following the death of your bearer I can guess what kind of prey he would be. ****Allow me to advise you on how to slay him, Curved Blade**

Fully armed, masked and wearing a new set of light armour that covered his whole upper body he charged furiously towards the human-shaped silhouette, bloodlust in his eyes and his hands balled into tight fists, intent on beating the figure, who had his back turned to him, to death.

**Intellectually superior, he will attempt to entrap you in every way possible. There is the chance that you will play right into his hands and he will ensnare you indefinitely. But at the right moment, once you in the right position, you ****will**** have the chance to strike and he in turn will have ****no**** chance against you.**

**Stun him. As much as a simple punch to the side of his skull will suffice…**

Just as the silhouette turned to face him Curved Blade delivered a devastating left hook to the side of it's silhouette's face, breaking it's nose and sending it's tinted glasses flying off it's face. The silhouette staggered backward and fell onto the ground.

**Physically weak up close…basically a pushover. Will go down with one strike.**

The Predator moved up close, reaching behind his back and drawing his nodachi. The silhouette reached into it's the side of it's coat and pulled out a 9mm Beretta.

**Probably keeps a small ooman weapon on his person. Relatively skilled in it's use.**

Holding the side of it's impacted face with it's right hand he raised his beretta with his left, aiming up at Curved Blade.

**Relieve him of his weapon. Humiliate him…**

He swung his sword and severed the silhouette's gun hand, blood pouring out of the wound.

**Watch him as he watches you…with fear in his eyes and his meagre attempt at flight. He will finally understand that he had wronged you, and that you have come to avenge yourself.**

He could see the silhouette looking up at him, and he was trying to scramble away from him in terror. With a cry Curved Blade kicked him in the side, turning him over so that he was lying on his stomach, his back once again facing the young Predator. He then put his foot down on his back and pinned him down as he sheathed his sword.

**This is where you extend your ki'ct-pa…**

He then extended his wrist blade…

**And move to claim what is rightfully yours.**

He knelt as he drove his blade, and his wrist, forward into the silhouette's back and severing his spine below the small of his back, blood spraying upward like a geyser into his bio-mask and all over his blood as he dug into his prey's body. He heard the crunch of bone as he felt his hand grasp his spine and with strength unlike that of any human he ripped the silhouette's spinal column along with his skull out his back.

Curved Blade screamed into the air in triumph, covered in head to toe in blood and holding his trophy up high in his left hand.

**Keep picturing this exact moment until the day comes. That way, apprentice, you will not show no hesitation, no sorrow, no fear and definitely no mercy when you take his life and his skull.**

But until that day, he will manipulate you at every time. It will be unavoidable. He will attempt bend you to his will; you will be a tool to him. He will show no familial feeling towards you at all, just as you feel nothing towards him. Your only chance would be to hinder him in every possible way, and ultimately make him regret ever wronging you.

**You are Curved Blade. You are an Unblood of our Clan. When you undergo your Kainde Amedha chiva you will be given the opportunity to sever your last remaining tie to Earth. Then you will truly be known as Predator, and be permitted to re-establish your genetic line as Yautja.**

**I will be watching you. When you need me, I will come.**

"Yes, Yau-th."

(SSJNYH)

Misato thought he heard Shinji speak quietly to himself in the alien tongue as they ate together at the food court in the large shopping complex in Tokyo-03.

"Hey Shinji…"

The boy was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard Misato refer to him by his ooman name.

"What?"

"Did you say something?" Misato moved her plastic fork from her mouth and put it down on her tray right next to her plate.

His eyes lit up and he sat back in his chair, "Nothing. Just thinking."

Misato smiled, "About?"

He frowned, not liking where she was going, "Stuff."

"Like?"

"Killing things."

Misato frowned back at him, causing him to smile lightly. "Really, Shinji?"

"No."

For Shinji, the next three days felt reminiscent of the first two years back on the homeworld. So much getting used to being a human again after spending six or seven years as a hunter-in-training. Getting used to the gravity, the food (and not having to catch and kill it), the language and the constant feeling that he was being watched. Not by Misato, his Mother or by Nam, but by some other individuals he could have sworn were briefly glancing at him whenever he left the Katsuragi residence.

Despite himself, Shinji found himself growing to like the purple-haired beauty known as Misato Katsuragi, finding her amusing to be around despite finding a couple of her quirks either annoying or downright disturbing, such as her drinking habits (he found out that Yebisu was alcohol). On another note Nam's comparison of her to Merl'we were almost accurate. Both were beautiful by their respective species' standards, were professional when it came to their jobs but in their down time they were carefree as can be; as in dressing skimpily, consuming large amounts of alcohol and relentless in teasing and embarrassing Shinji. By now at his age, Shinji had now gotten used to such behaviour and just shrugged it off.

Still…

(SSJNYH)

Earlier that morning

_**Katsuragi residence…**_

"Oh Shinji…"

Sitting in the living room he looked up from his holographic wrist-comp display, hearing Misato call out to him in her own characteristic way, always briefly making him feel fuzzy before he suppressed it.

"Yeah?" Shinji called back, the first time saying 'yeah.'

"Mind feeding Pen-Pen while I take a shower?" she replied loudly. "We'll go check out Tokyo-03 some more today when I get out, 'kay?"

"'kay," Shinji replied back as he got up, smiling. "Pantry, right?"

"Yeah, the canned stuff…"

He got up and walked over to the kitchen and just when he opened the pantry he noticed out the corner of his eye Misato standing there in the hallway, dressed in nothing but a towel and smiling at him. Shinji raised his eyebrows and turned to her.

"Misato?"

"Oh, don't mind me," Misato said, smiling. "Just making sure you know where to find the canned fish."

Shinji frowned, "I _know_ where they are."

"Oh, ok," Misato stopped smiling, closed her eyes and stepped down the hallway, almost looking like she was in a huff. "Guess I'll just go and have my shower then."

Shinji watched her disappear, still frowning. He then reached into the pantry and pulled out a tin of canned salmon.

'Weirdo.'

(SSJYNH)

Now

This morning had been…odd. But nevertheless, she was interesting, not to mention fun, to hang around with. It was definitely like hanging around Merl'we all over again.

The young Predator had all but ignored Nam's suggestions that he consider taking Misato as a mate, thinking it was ludicrous as she was older than he was and he barely knew her. And since at the moment he couldn't take her seriously, his clansmen wouldn't either and thought would be _hazardous_ to her health. But then again, she was the only female of his species that he was close to at the moment and only acted like a tease/slob/abnormal human being during her down time…

Shinji grunted and stabbed a piece of battered fish with his fork and put in his mouth, blushing lightly as his mind tried to give him reasons to follow through with claiming her as his…

"Pauk."

"What's up?" Misato noticed the way he just stabbed his food and curse silently.

"Eh? Er…something a friend told me." Shinji said, chewing his food slowly.

"Yeah…?" Misato smiled, rested her shoulders on their table and leaned in slightly, once again teasing. "Judging from all that red on your face it must have been…embarrassing."

'Better believe it,' Shinji thought, vexed by her behaviour.

Misato took note of the progress Shinji was making since being 'liberated' from his non-human captives. He was becoming less introverted, more eager to explore the city they lived in, was gradually eating better and more than a few bites at a time, and his Japanese improved tenfold. She attributed this to being able to learn quickly, a trait he no doubt picked up when he was younger as a means of survival.

She found herself starting to like the alien hunter. She felt drawn to him by the strength and bravery he had exhibited during his fight against the alien, the way he handled being out of his enforced comfort zone and withstanding it without complaint, that he took it like a man. And for his attitude towards her, though cynical and often blunt, always spoke to her with respect. And whenever she tried doing something to make him red in the face for her own amusement he often shrugged it off and robbed her of her fun. Though on the up side he was the possibly the first male that hadn't tried to get her into bed with him, and the fact that he was half her age notwithstanding she didn't know whether to be relieved or insulted.

But whenever she had asked him of his life before nearly a week ago he didn't before to answer, always ignoring her and asking his own questions about Tokyo-03 and about NERV. Misato had also been showing him around NERV, and not counting Evangelion Unit 00 he marvelled at the technology and the sheer design of the GeoFront and headquarters.

Shinji had also gotten better acquainted with the people that run NERV…

(SSJNYH)

_Yesterday…_NERV HQ

"WAAAAH!"

THUMP!

Sitting in one of the rest areas of NERV HQ next to the vending machines, Shinji and Misato heads shot up when they heard a familiar cry around the corner just down the hall and the scattering of paper on the floor. Shinji crushed the empty soda can in his mouth and tossed in the nearest bin as he stood up.

"That sounded like Ibuki," Misato stated, frowning. "And she was in a rush...again."

Shinji moved to investigate, and sure enough there was Maya lying on the ground, having slipped on the smooth floor and the documents and the folders she was carrying were lying scattered all over.

"Ow," Maya groaned. She then noticed Shinji staring down at her, blankly. "Little help?"

Shinji bent over and helped Maya up onto her feet. The technician held onto his arms as he helped her up, and felt her eyes widen in surprise when she felt them.

'Shinji's got muscles?' she thought, amazed. 'Sempai wasn't exaggerating after all.'

"You okay?" Shinji asked.

"Y-yeah," Maya smiled embarrassingly, rubbing her shoulder and groaned in pain. "I was supposed to have delivered their documents to Dr. Akagi hours ago."

"These ones?" Shinji queried as he bent over and recovered them, before handing over to Maya.

"Yeah," she took them. "Thank you, Shinji."

Misato appeared around the corner, arms crossed. "Seriously, what did we say…actually…what Dr. Akagi said about running around the halls, lieutenant Ibuki?"

Her cheeks reddened, "Uh…not to, ma'am."

"And…?"

"To prioritise," Maya was now sighing and rolling her eyes as she repeated Dr. Akagi's words. "That way there won't be cause for rush."

Misato stepped aside, smiling, "Don't let me keep you."

Maya nodded, and cast Shinji one last sideward glance as she continued on her way, walking now. Shinji and Misato watched her go. The boy then turned to Misato, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Yeah, she just started working here a few days before I did," the older woman replied. "But believe it or not, she does her job better than I do mine."

"What…what's that?" Shinji asked her, repeating the first word and adding 's' to it. "What you do here?"

Misato mentally noted his steadily improving Japanese just as he dreaded answering that question.

"Oh I tell people what to do," Misato simplified her answer, smiling as they begun walking together. "I'm kind of the boss here."

She then paused.

"You know what boss means…?"

"Yes!" Shinji snapped, eyes narrowed in annoyance. "I'm still learning words, Misato."

"O-ok," Misato was taken back. 'And at an incredible rate, too. Must be a survival skill.'

(SSJYNH)

"Hey Makato…"

BKAM!

"Makato!"

"BKAM!

"HEY!"

At NERV's firing range in the Personnel Training Complex Makato lowered his Glock and pulled his earmuffs down so that they were around his neck. He turned to Shigeru who was standing in the aisle next to his.

"What?"

"Captain Katsuragi's showing Shinji around the joint," Shigeru said, placing his own pistol on the counter. "The same Shinji who bled all over the floor and put Yamanashi and Kaneda in the same hospital he was recovering in. What do you think of that?"

"Huh?"

"The alien kid that's latched on to Misato?" Shigeru frowned. "That's not really a smart thing to do, right?"

Makato shrugged as he did an magazine check, "Hey, she's trying to help the kid and whatever restores his faith in humanity works for me."

"And you're worried about him…because?"

He smirked jokingly, "He won't go crazy and break _my_ arm."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, lieutenant."

Both technicians felt themselves freeze up when they heard that familiar voice. Sure enough Misato and Shinji were standing in the doorway leading into the firing range. Shinji had his fingers in his ears on account of the close reverberating gunfire in the area.

"Ah…captain Katsuragi," Makato said, startled. "I didn't you know were coming around here today."

"Yeah, this is part of the tour," she replied, indicating Shinji. "And I think he'd enjoy coming to a place like this."

Shinji turned to her, "Eh?"

"You're kidding?" Shigeru shot back. He then added, "Ma'am."

(SSJYNH)

BKAM!

BKAM!

BKAM!

Makato gave an impressed whistle as Shinji, wearing the appropriate eye and ear-wear, lowered his Glock and hit the red button on the side of the booth. The target was automatically brought forth and they could see that of eight rounds fired, four of them were a bullseye. Shinji smirked and placed the pistol down on the counter.

"Huh…not bad," Shigeru said, drawing Shinji's attention. He then smirked, "Know anything about a gun besides firing it?" Shinji picked the glock up. He then ejected the gun's empty magazine and inserted a fresh one, pulled the slide back and flipped the safety on before putting it back on the counter. Misato was impressed; not to mention stunned, by his knowledge of small arms.

"Whoa, for real?" Shigeru mouth was agape. "At _your_ age?"

"Yeah," Shinji nodded. "_My_ age."

Misato's felt her eyes soften when she saw Shinji's eyes scan the floor, almost sullen-like.

**Yeah, **_**his**_** age.**

"I'm impressed," Makato rubbed his chin in thought, smiling. "This is a going to be stab in the dark, but: Tell me you studied other people using firearms."

Shinji nodded.

"Thought so. Compared to using, what, phaser guns? I didn't think you'd normally use inferior pieces of iron."

Shinji chuckled, drawing a smile from Misato as well. The technician decided to continue prodding.

"And judging from the look of intensity on your face I'd say you were thinking someone else as you pulled the trigger?"

"What?" Shinji turned sharply towards Shigeru, a look of shock on his face.

"You know?" Shigeru joined into the convesation. "Like…the ugly mother that gave you one of your scars? Like that big one running down your spine. Someone you really want to tear a new one…"

"Really, Aoba?" Misato glared, causing the technician to flinch. "You have the balls to ask something like that…?'

"Yeah."

"What?" Misato growled at Shigeru, causing him to cringe. She then realised it was Shinji that answered and she suddenly calmed down. "I-I mean…Shinji?"

Shinji frowned, "Me think I shoot another instead of target…yeah."

Misato could tell Shinji was becoming stressed, as he was reverting back to speaking broken instead of taking his time to think about what he was going to say.

"Ah…who?" Makato dared asked.

Shinji turned his frown towards the bespectacled technician, causing him to flinch. He then put his Glock down, stepped past Misato and out of the firing range.

"I don't think he appreciates you guys practically digging around in his mind," Misato said, dryly.

She then thought to herself, intrigued…

'_Who_ was he picturing when he hit the bullseye four times?'

(SSJNYH)

Taking off his protective eyewear and earmuffs Shinji dropped them on the floor outside the door and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and trying to focus, reeling from those two tetch'na that were NERV's head technicians having cracked open his mind, figuratively speaking. Shinji glimpsed at the door, seeing that Misato hadn't followed him out, and were probably chewing the tetch'na out.

The object of his hatred. The one he had sworn to kill. The skull he wanted to be marked over…he was close. He just knew he was close by.

He's here. Everything here is somehow…familiar.

Somehow…

"Shinji."

His train of interrupted, he turned his head to see a neatly dressed, grey-haired man of sixty years approaching him, a smile on his face. Shinji leaned off the wall and stood there.

"I don't believe we've met," the man stated. "At least not in person."

Shinji nodded, "No. Who are you?"

"My name's Kozo Fuyutsuki, I am the Sub-Commander of NERV," the older man introduced himself as he extended a hand. "Allow me to be first to say: Welcome back to Earth."

Shinji glimpsed at Fuyutsuki blankly; then stared at his hand. He then hesitantly extended his own hand and shook it firmly, smiling lightly.

_Sub_-Commander? Whose really in charge?

Fuyutsuki's eyes widened, "You have a firm handshake, Shinji."

Shinji was irked. "Not _my_ name."

"No?" Fuyutsuki was surprised. "Then what should I call you?"

Shinji quickly searched through his minds the words he had either learned or relearned in the past couple of days. Fuyutsuki stood with his hands clasped behind his back and could see he was visibly straining to find the right words as gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes as he searched for the right worlds.

"C-cu-rved…B-Blade."

Fuyutsuki raised his eyebrows curiously, "Curved Blade?"

"Yes."

He rolled his eyes in thought, 'Just like I thought. Mentally, he's _one_ of them now. How interesting.'

The door into the firing range opened to reveal Misato.

"Oh, Sub-Commander, sir," Misato was surprised to see the elderly man. "I didn't know you were coming around this part of the GeoFront today."

"Neither did I, captain," Fuyutsuki replied with a smile. "I was just finally getting acquainted with Curved Blade, here?"

Misato looked at Shinji oddly, "Curved Blade, sir?"

"Yes, he told me his _real_ name," he answered. "Fits him well if I must say."

"Really?"

"Yes," Shinji said.

"Well…" Misato continued, rolling her eyes as if unsure. "No offence, but it's going to be a bit of a mouthful calling you that. I think I'll stick to calling you Shinji, if you don't mind."

Shinji frowned, "Guess not."

"Well," Fuyutsuki drew their attention. "Carry on, captain. He is, of course, _you're_ responsibility until further notice."

"Yes sir," Misato replied.

"Good day, Curved Blade," Fuyutsuki gave Shinji one last smile before walking off down the hallway away from the firing range, hands still behind his back.

Shinji and Misato watched him go with much curiosity. Shinji smiled.

**He understands.**

"Shinji?"

"Hmm?" he turned towards Misato.

"You feel like…talking?"

"About what?"

Misato glanced at the doorway where Makato and Shigeru were still practising, "About what those knuckleheads brought up in there?"

Shinji shook his head.

"No."

(SSJNYH)

_Present Day…_

'Curved Blade, eh?' Misato thought as she thought back to yesterday and knowing Shinji's 'real' name. 'Pretty unimaginative, but it sticks to him pretty well.'

Misato thought back to his attempts to make him talk about his experiences with the aliens yielded little fruit, as he had either changed the subject or outright ignored her and always trying to withhold a pained grimace afterwards. She felt herself genuinely caring for the child soldier, but found besides talking to him and trying to open up that there was little she could do. She had her own personal problems and feared that bringing Shinji into her life just complicated them.

As if a were a brief reprieve Misato notice Shinji in turn notice a couple of teenage girls stare at him as they walked by his table. He glanced back at them and they quickly looked away blushing lightly, smiling and giggling slightly. Misato saw this, smirking, and had no doubt that his feral-looking appearance (including his short yet exotic looking hair), physical stature and the lighter aspects of his personality would no doubt make him a lady-killer; that is if hung around Tokyo-03 long enough.

However reality set in…

"Aw, damn…"

"What?"

…and another complication just found it's way into her life.

"You know that clothes shop we just stepped out of it?" Misato said. "Think I left my credit card in there."

Shinji chuckled and glanced down at the three bags full of clothes underneath the table, "You mean that shop at the _other_ end of the mall? Down about two levels? Buying me clothes that's finally managed to max out your cred…"

Misato frowned at his taking amusement, "Yeah, and it's a ten-minute walk. Don't rub it in, you're terrible at it."

"I'll wait right here," Shinji leaned back in his chair.

Misato nodded and got of her seat, "Alright. Seriously…"

She smirked, almost evil like at him.

"I'm warning you: Don't you dare move from this spot."

His smile suddenly faded.

"O…kay…"

"Whoa Toji…hotness getting up and leaving at three o'clock!"

"Where? Where…OH!"

Sitting some table away Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida saw Misato get up from her and Shinji's table and walked away, both of them with smiles on their face. When they noticed Shinji watching her leave, Touji scowled and Kensuke appeared equally envious.

"Hey, how'd a guy like him get ta sit next'a complete babe like dat?" he demanded, violently chomping on his chicken wrap for good measure.

Kensuke turned to him and shrugged, "Don't ask me. He's lucky I guess."

Toji snorted as he took a sip from his soda cup, "Probably da rings he's got in his hair! I hear only da really hot chicks go fer all dat tribal bullshit he's got goin'."

Kensuke adjusted his glasses as he peered at Shinji, "Oh yeah. He's got a couple of those and…and…and…"

He's eyes widened and he briefly went into shock when he recognised that black, ringed hair on the slightly built boy who went back to eating his battered fish quietly, left elbow resting on the table and resting his head on his left hand. That was where he noticed his gloves and the wrist-comp devices on his arms. Toji noticed his petrified friend and shook him on the shoulder.

"Hey Ken…what da hell, man?"

"That's…that's him?"

"Him?" Toji scrounged his face in confusion. "Who?"

"A-alien ship…hunter…big sword…" Kensuke shot off each word, stunned. "Do the math!"

Toji stared at him, scanning him almost intensely.

**Scanning…scanning…**

He immediately though back to a few days ago. Days he had tried to repress up until this moment, but he could still make out a few things. The images he could still make out clearly were a creature bursting out of the chest of a scantily-clad woman, running away from the JSSDF, returning to Kensuke's place after his father had already gone to bed, tossing their bloodstained clothes into the garbage; and the shadowy boy with the wrist-devices and the short, spiky, ringed hair that had sliced and blasted through a horde of dark, phallic-looking monsters and allowing them to escape.

**Hollleeeeee…crap…**

He thought his eyes were about to burst out of his skull when realisation dawned on him and felt his soda spill all over him as he crushed the cup that held it in his hand.

Two theories: Da one involvin' alien abduction an' turnin' him inda some kinda' slave warrior or dat da aliens look a'lot like us.

He studied him closely, his soda running off his hand and onto his legs.

Gotta be alien. Na way a normal human could slice through all dem freaks. Must be warrior elite or somethin', an' he looks like he's around my age.

He then realised he had spilled his drink.

"Awww…crap…"

"Toji!" Kensuke exclaimed again in shock, once again awake from his own stupor. "Whoa, you just crushed your drink…"

"Yeah!" Toji growled. "On account of da alien sitting some feet 'way from us! What's he doin' with dat chick, I dunno?"

Kensuke shook his head, "You don't think she's another alien, don't you?"

He then smiled, perversely.

"And they're…like you know…mates or something?"

Toji then stood up from his seat.

"Hey, what're you doing?"

The jock appeared determined, "I'm gonna go an' talk ta him, dat's what I'm doin',"

Alarmed, Kensuke reached over and grabbed him by his left sleeve and pulled him back down, whispering loudly, "Are you crazy?"

Toji looked at him as if he were crazy, "Funny, that'd be somethin' you'd jump at da firs' opportunity."

Cringing, Kensuke whispered, "After what happened I'm not going anywhere near anything extraterrestrial ever again!"

"Fine den!" Toji pulled his arm away from Kensuke's grip. He smirked, mockingly "Step inside a UFO fulla chestburstin' aliens, but not talk ta jus' one?"

He then crossed his arms.

"Sit dere like the otaku pussy you are."

Kensuke glared up at him and stood up.

"Pussy, am I?"

"Relax, Ken," Toji closed his eyes and brushed him off with a smile. "Jus' Let me do all da talkin'. Believe me, I have da perfect first question ta ask 'im."

(SSJNYH)

Shinji let a sigh as he closed his eyes and sat back in his chair, patting his stomach lightly having finished his battered fish.

**Hopefully I'll be able to keep lunch down this time. Not like…**

His eyes widened, and he stopped himself from thinking back at the first time he had breakfast, with Misato no less.

**Ewwww…don't want to think about it.**

Suddenly he heard the chair on the other end of the table scrape slightly against the floor as someone sat on it, followed by another chair being dragged across the ground towards his table. He opened his eyes to find two very familiar teenage boys sitting at his table, the light-haired one holding a camcorder in his hand, smiling awkwardly at him. Shinji just plainly stared back at them.

Smiling, Kensuke said, "Hi. Remember us?

"Yes." Shinji responded coolly.

Smiling widely, Toji opened up with 'da perfect first question'.

"Are you an alien?"

Kensuke's smile faded and turned to Toji in shock.

"T-Toji?" he stuttered nervously.

Shinji's eyes lit up in interest.

"What?"

"You're him, 'ight?" Toji said. "Da alien with da big sword who blew up dat big-ass spaceship?"

Shinji glanced at his wrist devices, eyes narrowed.

"It's these things that gave me away, right?" Shinji stated.

"Uh…yeah," Kensuke said, rolling his eyes back. "Well, that and your hair."

"My hair?"

"Yeah, yer got da whole spiky anime short hair thing goin' on de're, don't ya?" Toji pointed at his eyes, smiling uncertainly. "Doze strands ya got tied with da gold rings an' really spiky, pronounced edges. Real tribal o' ya. Yer' scars ain't bad either. Real chick magnet you are."

Shinji ran a hand through his own hair curiously, then crossed his arms and gave him a look that said he wasn't impressed. Kensuke internal alarms blared and he felt a trickle of sweat run down the back of his neck.

"Ah…anyway!" Kensuke stated a little too loudly as if to interrupt Toji. "I'm Kensuke Aida and this is Toji Suzuhara…"

"Ken!" Toji shouted. "What da hell…?"

Smiling widely with typical enthusiasm, Kensuke continued with arms stretched wide "And on behalf of us and the people of Japan, welcome to Earth."

Shinji rolled his eye around to see a lot of people sitting nearby looking towards his table, especially at the eccentricity of his unwelcome guests.

He snorted…

**Think I would have ended up like them if I stayed on Earth?**

**Probably not. Probably end up a lot worse.**

…and pointed towards them, stating loudly for everyone to hear, "Crazy."

And everyone no longer paid them any mind, going back to their business and muttering something about crazed, mad otaku. Both Toji and Kensuke turned red with embarrassment and were suddenly quiet. Shinji then turned back to them.

He smiled and pointed at himself, "Shinji Curved Blade."

"Nice name," Toji smirked. "You hadda earn it or somethin'?"

"What?"

"You look like da kinda guy from some warrior race that hadda earn his name."

"Well, I…"

"Matter o' fact," Toji's smile faded. "Ya didn't answer my question?"

"Ah…eh…" Shinji was starting to become overwhelmed by Toji's fast-paced questioning.

"Are you an alien?"

Shinji opened his mouth to answer when he glimpsed past Toji's head to see two men sitting nearby. Men in their mid-thirties with one waring a polo shirt and jeans while the other had a red tracksuit on. He thought he recognised those men standing across the street from the apartment complex when they headed out this morning. Later on he briefly glimpsed the tracksuit man jogging along the concrete footpath through the park where Misato had taken him; and finally he saw the polo-wearing man as he and Misato stepped through the sliding doors into the mall about an hour ago.

"Stay here," Shinji said calmly as he shot up from his seat.

"Eh?" Toji was surprised.

"Hey!" Kensuke exclaimed, taken by surprise more so than his friend. "Where're you going?"

Shinji glared down at them with enough intensity to make them shiver on the spot.

"Stay _here_!" he repeated, sounding even sterner.

He then walked away from the table and out of the food court towards one of the utility passages that had STAFF ONLY written on the doors. Toji and Kensuke watched him leave, then noticed two men getting out of their seats and walk towards the same passage. A simultaneous chill went through their bodies as they watched the two men disappear through the doors after him.

"So…" Kensuke said. "What do we do? now"

Toji looked at him, "We do wha' he says, wha' else?"

(SSJNYH)

"Fuck, Uta" the man in the polo shirt cursed as he pulled out the 9mm he had been hiding in his pants behind his back. "He saw us. The little bastard's good as Ikari let on."

"Yeah!" the tracksuit man named as Uta replied with uncertainty, his own firearm in hand. He then whispered to him through clenched teeth. "Now shuddup you idiot. He's probably waiting for us."

The men walked down the passageway where they heard the sound of a door being kicked open. They took a left where it said TO EMPLOYEE CARPARK. Pistols were primed as they turned the corner, expecting the door leading into the carpark to be either off it's hinges or at least open slightly. Instead the door leading outside was closed.

"Hey!"

But they saw that the utility room door just to their left had a small dent in the wood. They cautiously opened it and were greeted by a pitch black room. Flicking the light on they saw that it was empty, save for the shelves and the cleaning equipment stored in it. They then looked upward at the ceiling and were relieved to see that that boy hadn't being lying in the wait for them that way.

Instead the boy materialised seemingly out of thin air right next to the utility room door, slamming it and trapping all of three of them in the room. The thugs spun around, promptly taken by surprise.

"Wha…?"

"AW, SHIT!"

Extending his wrist blades he darted his left blade forward in a stabbing motion and sliced his beretta in half horizontally as he pulled the trigger. He then threw himself against Uta, knocking him painfully against the wall and scattering cleaning fluid bottle everywhere, rendering him unconscious as the shelf collapsed over him. The tracksuit thug attempted to pistol-whip Shinji, who raised his right hand and grasped the thug's left wrist, squeezing it tightly, forcing him to drop the pistol and cry out in pain.

Smiling, Shinji then stabbed the tracksuit through the shoulder with his wristblade, eliciting a louder scream that was muffled by the Utility room's closed door. He then slowly twisted the blade, causing him to bit his lip to keep from screaming, eliciting a final attempt at professionalism for someone of his profession.

"You said _Ikari_?" Shinji hissed quite sinisterly, still smiling as he began to become filled with excitement. "Where is he?"

"Wh…what the hell…?" the tracksuit groaned

His smile faded as impatience set in.

"Where is Ikari?" Shinji shouted, twisted his blade some more as a spurt of blood squirted onto his right cheek. "TELL ME WHERE HE IS, OOMAN!"

(SSJNYH)

"Hey, hey, HEY!" Misato exclaimed loudly to herself, seeing Shinji missing from their table and instead two other teenage boys were sitting at it. "Oh no no no no no…"

Toji and Kensuke noticed her approaching and stood up, faces already red at the mere sight of her and smiling awkwardly at her.

"Er…hi…" Kensuke waved his hand at her. "We're…uh…friends of Curved Blade."

"Hi…" Misato replied, sternly and frowning. "Friends, eh? Did you see where he went?"

Their smiles faded and they rolled their eyes at one another, nervously.

"We saw im' stand up an' walk towards one o' da exits over de're," Toji nudged his head towards said exit. "Two guys got up an' followed after 'im?"

Panicked, Misato felt her heart rate accelerate when she suddenly exclaimed, "What? T-through there, right?

"Y-yeah, why…?"

**Oh shit…Section 2. One or even two of them won't stand a chance against him.**

Not wasting any time Misato ran towards the same exit, leaving Toji and Kensuke standing there, dumbfounded.

"Wow."

Toji turned to his friend.

"Eh?"

Kensuke smiled, still blushing, "Wish I had a woman like that rush after me?"

Toji, however, appeared uneasy.

"How 'bout we git up an' walk 'way, now? Jus' you an' me, huh?"

Kensuke looked at his feet and saw the shopping bags strewn about their feet.

"Maybe we should hang around just a while longer," Kensuke stated, seriously. "You know, keep a eye on their stuff."

Toji sighed and sat back down, slapping a hand across his eyes.

"Real glutton fer gettin' our asses thrown inta da great unknown, ain't ya Aida."

(SSJYNH)

Uta groaned as he felt he couldn't move as something was atop of him. In the background he could hear the wet sounds of fist making contact with one's skull mixed with grunts and cries of pain and alien obscenities being spewed forth. He dared moved a little, rattling the shelf that was atop of him and drawing the attention of Shinji.

Realising he had beaten the tracksuit into unconsciousness, Shinji stood up and stepped over to Uta, putting his foot down on the shelf and pinning him to the ground. Uta glared and gritted his teeth in anger, as well as pain. He screamed when Shinji brought his foot down on his back. He then felt the shelf being lifted off him and getting rolled over onto his back. His eyes widened as he attempted to his edge his head away from the wristblades that were an inch from his eyes, threatening to poke them out courtesy of a bloodied Shinji with his bruished knuckles and anger in his eyes.

"Where is Ikari?" Shinji demanded of him.

"W-why?" Uta spat at him. "What's he to you? AH….FUCK!"

He swore with agony when Shinj suddenly nicked him across the cheek with his blade, guaranteed to leave a scar there.

"YOU SADISTIC LITTLE FUCK…AWWKKK!"

"Tell me," Shinji hissed as he grabbed him by the throat and squeezed. "Pyode Amedha tetch'na!"

"SHINJI!"

He turned around to see Misato standing in the doorway, her left hand over her mouth as she was shocked at the sight before her. Two bloodied, beaten undercover Section 2 agents buried underneath bottle, shelves and cleaning equipment and one teenage boy with blood on his hands. Uta looked up at her, pleadingly, as Shinji was squeezing the life out of him.

Shinji frowned up at her, "Misato. You find your credit card or what?"

Misato closed her eyes and shook her head.

'This can't be happening.'

(SSJNYH)

"I see. What happened next after Captain Katsuragi arrived, Agents Uta and Gato?"

Both Section 2 agents, now in uniform sporting bruised and bandaged faces, stood disciplined with arms at their sides before the Supreme Commander of NERV in his office, the Sub-Commander standing in his usual place to the side.

Gato cleared his throat, "Misato ordered him to leave the room, but not before the little bas…I mean…the Third Child kicked me in the side and cracked my ribs and told us the next time he saw us, he'd kill us."

Gendo's eyebrows raised with interest at how his son dispatched the two Section 2 personnel.

**Unexpected.**

"Sir, if I may speak freely," Gato gritted his teeth as he felt the pains in his side flare up. "You're…going to deal with this, are you?"

Gendo clasped his hands together. "Appropriately. You are dismissed."

Uta and Gato turned and left the room.

"How _appropriately_ shall we deal with Shinji, Ikari?" Kozo inquired.

"He'll be made to play his part in the events to come. That will be enoughm for now," Gendo replied. "Once we figure out the extent of how much he will affect the Scenario."

Kozo's interest piqued, "You haven't determined yet?"

Gendo narrowed his eyes in thought, "He is…he will be unpredictable. But that is why we have Captain Katsuragi."

He paused

**His leash. And if necessary…**

He frowned.

**…his plaything as well.**

(SSJNYH)

Dressed in her usual casual wear, Misato splashed cold water on herself in the bathroom sink, sighing loudly as she tried to compose herself as Shinji sat on the couch in the living room waiting.. She and Shinji had just come home what should have been yet another monotonous day of taking care of a former child soldier and reintroducing him to the lighter side of humanity when it unexpectedly went down to the same hell Shinji crawled out of it. With said child soldier making himself an enemy out of NERV Department of Security Intelligence by luring away then brutalising two of their operatives.

And those two teens that were minding their table in the food court, how were they involved with him?

She shook her head and tapped her forehead with the mirror, exhaling loudly.

**All right…_this_ time, I'm going to get him to talk about his seven years worth of hell, or what's close to it anyhow.**

I don't know squat about any of that psychological crap about getting people to open up, God knows with what I've personally dealt with I'm the last person in the universe to try it, but if it'll keep me away from the business end of his wrist blades…

She gritted her teeth and shook her head again in denial.

**No, he wouldn't do that to me. That much I know about him for sure.**

After patting her face dry with a towel she stepped out of the bathroom.

"Shinji? You're still sitting down, right? We need to…to…"

She almost sighed in frustration when she saw that he was now lying on the couch, asleep or pretending to be asleep with his back turned to her. Pen-Pen was standing to the side of the couch, looking up at the slumbering boy. He then looked up at Misato and gave a worried squawk.

On a lesser note, Shinji and Pen-Pen were also starting to get along better.

**And he won't try and cook and eat him, either.**

She looked out the window and saw that it was nowhere close to dusk, and frowned; believing that he was trying to get out of talking again. He could always tell what she was going to do next, judging from her mere facial and body movements, another survival trait he probably picked up from his time in Hell.

And that had been awkward…and unfair.

(SSJYNH)

_Yesterday…_

_Katsuragi Residence_

"Okay Shinji the faster we do this the less painful it will be. We're going to be see who gets to do what each day."

"Do _what _what?"

"Chores. You know, who gets to wash dishes, take out the trash and cook dinner…"

"I can't cook ooman."

"Assuming you mean human _food_…neither can I to be honest, so we get to see who gets to subject who to his or her half-burnt tuna surprise."

"Fine. How do we do that?"

"We play Scissors, Paper, Rock. It's simple really. Scissor beat paper, paper beats rock, rock beats scissors. At the count of three we make our fists look like either one of those. See…Scissors…Paper…Rock."

"Oh."

"Alright, now, we get to see who gets to take the trash out. Ready?"

"Ready."

"SCISSORS, PAPER, ROCK! Hah, I win so you're in charge of Monday morning."

"Uh…"

"Alright. SCISSORS, PAPER ROCK! Yeah, you're doing Tuesday as well."

"Feh.…"

"Sourpuss. For Wednesday…SCISSORS, PAPER…ROCK?"

"I win."

"Pfff…lucky. All right for Thursday. SCISSORS, PAPER, ROCK …"

"I win again."

"Wha…? Aw, Fine! Friday…SCISSORS, PAPER, ROCK…goddammit…"

"I win."

"Don't rub it in, you brat. Saturday, SCISSORS, PAPER…"

"Win!"

"WHAT? How're you doin' that?"

"I watch how you move your fingers then make split-second decision. You predictable, Misato."

"PREDICTABLE? WHY YOU SMIRKING LITTLE…! FOR SUNDAY, SCISSORS PAPER ROCK…AW, SHIT…"

"Language."

"(Sigh)…sorry. Okay, now to decide who gets to wash dishes? Scissors, paper…"

"Rock."

"ARGHHHHHHHHH! NO FAIR, SPACE BOY!"

"Heh…"

"Squawk?"

"THAT _WAS_ NO FAIR!"

"Nain-desintye-de."

"Say that again, I dare you! Actually what _did_ you just say?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

(SSJNYH)

Misato managed to win another ten times, and that was because Shinji felt sorry for her and let her win; she knew. Despite what problems she perceived that they had or will have, he definitely added spice to her otherwise monotonous, formerly lonely existence.

"Shinji…"

She stepped towards the couch…

"Shinji!"

The boy groaned and rolled over so that he was facing Misato discontentedly.

"What?"

"We need to talk."

"What about?"

"Oh gee…I don't know?" Misato shrugged sarcastically, before raising her voice. "Brutalising those two NERV Intelligence agents half-an-hour ago!"

Shinji looked angrily at her as he sat up, causing him snarl at her which made her step back some, "How I…suppose to know what they were? They could have been out to kill us."

Misato eyes widened, mostly when he mentioned them being out to kill _her_, "Uh…"

She then downcast her eyes, looking ashamed.

"Y-yeah, sorry, no fault there I suppose. I should've known NERV would have attached a couple of them to watch us."

**Yeah, should _have_.**

She then frowned at him once more.

"But did you have to go all out on them?"

Shinji shook his head, "I didn't 'go all out' on them. I would have killed them if I did."

"Oh."

"And I wasn't going to kill them," Shinji stated matter-of-factly, crossing his arms and leaning back into the sofa. "Just wanted to know where a man was."

"Why?" Misato asked, still standing before him.

Shinji's opened his mouth to reply, but he paused and reconsidered.

"Why, Shinji?" Misato asked again, more sternly this time.

He sighed, "I can't say."

"Why not?"

Shinji rolled his eyes up at her.

"I just…I just can't, ok?"

He then got off the couch and walked towards his room, leaving Misato dumbstruck.

She then shook her head and called, "Shinji…WAIT!"

The door to his room then slammed shut. Misato and Pen-Pen just stood there in the living room. Misato raised a hand to her face and exhaled into it.

Now what?

**Ah…**

A minute later Misato was on the phone…

_NERV Technical._

"Katsuragi. I need to speak to Dr. Akagi.

_One moment please…_

A moment passed.

_Misato. Shinji beat up two of Section 02's muscle half-an-hour ago and that's why you're calling?_

"Well, that," Misato deadpanned. "And that we're dealing with a real psychological headcase here."

_You _realised_ that just now?_

Misato growled, "Look, we need to get this kid get some real help and I'm not the one who can give it to him. You do this and I'll forget that you guilt-tripped me into taking him in."

_Take it up with the Commander. He's the one that didn't recommend it._

"What? Why?"

_You can ask him tomorrow. Bring Shinji in and we can resolve this._

Misato sighed, "_We_ better."

She then hung up, and just sat there at the counter doing nothing. She glimpsed down the hall at Shinji's door.

'They could have been out to kill us.' To kill…me?Me? He thought he was protecting me?

She then plopped her head on the counter and sighed once more. Maybe tomorrow when they brought Shinji back to NERV she could persuade the higher-ups to get Shinji help, and hopefully get him off her back as well.

Still, she couldn't help but dread what tomorrow would also bring.

**What next?**


	10. Chapter 9: Blood

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

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Chapter 9 - Blood

* * *

The fourth day brought change, and sealed Shinji Curved Blade's fate.

It was in the early hours of the morning when…

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

'Proximity alert…'

Recognising the sound, Shinji woke up to the sounds of his wrist-comp beeping. Moving himself so that he was lying on his back he flipped open his comp and display a holographic image of…

'Tokyo?'

Throwing the covers off himself he sat on the edge of the bed as the image scrolled itself outward to reveal the sea outside the city and a large triangular orange symbol, representing the contact, approaching the city at considerable speed. Shinji raised his eyebrows questioningly, before his head shot towards his door as someone pounded on the door from the other side.

"Shinji, are you up?" Misato called out. "Tell me you are!"

"Yeah, I am," Shinji responded. "What's going on?"

"Get dressed!" Misato sounded hurried. "We gotta get down to HQ right…away, right NOW! RIGHT FUCKIN' NOW"

"ALRIGHT!" Shinji shouted back, pulling his jeans up. "And language."

"Sorry. Just…get your pants on and let's go!"

He stared at his comp and the triangular target…

**What are you supposed to be?**

(SSJNYH)

_Attention! This is the Emergency Broadcast System. At 5:30am a state of Emergency has been declared for the entire Kanto Region, with the Tokai region at the epicenter. All residents are ordered to quickly and calmly evacuate to their designated shelters._

Hunter Merl'we's head shot up as she perched on the roof of the apartment complex, her biomask head-up display translating the loudspeaker announcement into scrolling text. She grunted slightly and scowled behind her mask. She never liked loud noises, they always made her jump and it was in this particular circumstance that she disciplined herself enough to not make a move, lest she fall of the roof and tumble down the side of the unusual architecture that was Curved Blade's apartment complex.

Speaking of the young hunter her mask picked up his distinctive heat signature amidst a entire sea of other residents departing the apartment complex, no doubt obeying the announcement. She smiled when she saw that he was accompanied by an ooman woman and recalled a conversation she had with Nam right after he visited him three days ago.

'Nam wasn't kidding me after all,' she thought. 'He did find himself a female, and one with a nice body. Wonder if he's planning on claiming her.'

She then looked towards the south-east where he wrist-comp had alerted her to the large signal approaching Tokyo-03. She narrowed her eyes.

'Judging from the speed this things barrelling down on this wretched ooman fortress city it intends to level it,' she thought. She then wondered, 'I hope Curved Blade doesn't think about taking it on by himself.'

She then continued wondering, irritant.

'Just to piss the High Elder off Gaun must definitely consider Ka'rik'na so we can pull Blade out of here as soon as possible. Though…'

She smirked again, this time in amusement when he recalled a conversation he had with the higher-ups with the clan.

'… if he comes out of this by himself on a pile of ooman skulls then the High Elder's decision to use him in that possible breeding alliance with the Zaibutsu won't be misplaced.'

She looked up at the sky to see closed to a hundred aircraft with the letters JSSDF stamped on them flying overhead towards the south-east. Large heavily armed planes, fighter jets and VTOL gunships flying over, the humming sound they generated make her twitter her mandibles in discomfort. Her sensors also picked up the rambling of tanks moving toward the same destination.

'Time I found somewhere quieter,' Merl'we moved from her position. 'While still shadowing 'Blade-kun.' Heh…'

She smirked and shook her head.

'Dagger Strike, you're just too cute when it comes to naming Curved Blade.'

(SSJNYH)

_UNKNOWN OBJECT FROM OCEAN SECTOR APPROACHING RUINS! JSSDF 83rd AIR WING AND UN GULF TANK ARMY MOVING TO INTERCEPT!_

_ROUTING IMAGES TO MAIN MONITORS!_

In Central Dogma Commander Gendo Ikari sat behind his desk at the very top of the command centre, Kozo practically not left his side since detection of the unknown object was approximately six hours earlier then anticipated.

"The trials of humanity have begun a bit early, wouldn't you say Commander?" Kozo stated as he looked at the monitor, where the 'unknown object' was projected on the main screen.

"MAGI could not have predicted them returning by just a few hours ahead of what was set in stone a millennium ago. The day has come nonetheless," Gendo replied, unmoved by this slight change in schedule. "It's not detrimental enough to the Scenario to warrant concern."

"Not even Shinji?" Kozo asked. "What if the Angel has come on part because of _him_?"

Gendo frowned, "No concern. He will submit. His life will depend on it."

Though it didn't show, Kozo was disturbed by that comment, realising the extent he will go to make sure Shinji is completely under his thumb.

'His first meeting with his son his seven years,' he thought. 'There will be blood.'

"Commander," Hyuuga called out. "UN Army has engaged the enemy."

(SSJNYH)

Shinji could hear the sound of alarms blaring all around the city and more aircraft fly overhead. He looked over at Misato as she drove the car, agitated and biting her lip.

"Too early, too soon…" he heard her whisper to herself. "The city's not even in Battle Mode yet!"

**Eh?**

"Misato? What's going on?"

"Ah…what?" Misato briefly looked at him, as if having been woken up. "What'd you say?"

"You know what's going on?" Shinji replied. "What's heading towards the city?"

Misato nodded, "Yeah, and it's at least six to seven hours earlier than expected!"

"What?" Shinji exclaimed, shocked. "Y-you mean you knew…?"

He was cut off by the sound of loud, heavy and assorted heavy vehicular weapons fire, ranging from tank cannon to rockets suddenly blared across the entire city as the military engaged the approaching antigen. Misato gritted her teeth and put her foot down on the accelerator, speeding through the now rapidly emptying streets as people rushed to their designated civil shelters.

(SSJNYH)

_First wave ineffective! Target leaving ruins, on course to Tokyo-03!_

"It's powered through the entire Gulf Army! What the hell is this?"

Within Central Dogma two generals of the UN Peacekeeper Army and one general of the Japanese Self-Defence Force glared toward at the entity on the main screen and how it was shrugging off everything their forces threw at it. Ballistic missiles, cannon, air fuel bombs – everything that could level a small town ineffective against a monster such as this.

"It's a tough BASTARD all right!" the JSDF General slammed his fist on the desk. "Time you put your trump card to use, Ikari."

"It's being prepared right now. Be patient."

Irritated by the commander's smugness, the General barked, "I'm all out of it! We're using _ours_ instead!"

(SSJYNH)

At that moment loud alarms blared all around the city, and Misato knew what that meant.

"Oh shit…OH SHIT!" she cried.

"What?" Shinji exclaimed, frowning towards her. "If you're going to keep cursing and not tell me what's going on…"

"THEY'RE GONNA USE AN N2 MINE!"

"A what?"

There was silence, followed by more silence, and that was followed by a deafening blare of non-nuclear power that was unleashed a few short miles away and the shockwave still managed to reach their position, sending every not bolted to the ground flying and their car to begin spiralling across the road. Misato had reached over and grabbed Shinji, holding her close to herself, startling Shinji and scrambling his equipment just before he felt himself black out.

Merl'we found herself flying off the rooftop closest to Shinji and Misato position and landing painfully amongst garbage cans in a alleyway. She groaned in pain and realised she was partially deafened and that she had sustained a cut across her left leg, presumably from the metal cans that had 'softened' her fall. She shakily got back up onto her feet with her hand on the nearest wall, feeling wonky as she felt the deafening sharp blared in her ears. She shook her head.

"Ow," she groaned. "Pauk."

She then felt a chill run down her spine when she remembered Curved Blade. Immediately re-engaging her cloaking field she ran toward the deserted street, but stopped, paused and turned towards the south-west where a gigantic mushroom cloud some miles away projected itself upward into the atmosphere.

'Is that where human ingenuity was put towards?' Merl'we thought bitterly. 'An atomic bomb _without_ the atomic in it?'

"M-Merl'we?"

She spun around to see Shinji looking out of the overturned car window up at her, obviously recognising her shape despite being cloaked. She quickly crouched and reached towards the car door, extending the blades in her finger and digging them into the steel, then tearing the door off it's hinges with _non_-human strength. She then felt Shinji's hand latch onto her arm as he crawled out, coughing as the dust settled all around them.

"Curved Blade."

Still coughing, she helped him onto his feet, "H-help me get her out!"

She nodded and stepped over towards the driver's door and opened it, seeing the ooman woman unconscious inside it. She tore off her seatbelt then gently dragged her out of the car, laying her on the highway road, groaning and with a cut on her forehead.

"MISATO!" Shinji cried as he ran towards her. He then noticed the cut on her forehead and got on her knees to her side. "Oh no…"

"Relax, Blade," Merl'we put her fingers to her neck. "You know it's barely a cut."

"Barely?" Shinji hissed at her. "Look, just help with put this thing…"

He indicated the car.

"…back on the road."

"You intend on driving it?" Merl'we quizzed him sceptically. "Since your female is out cold?"

"If I have to," Shinji stood up, slightly red faced from Merl'we's comment. He looked determined and recalled three days watching Misato work the clutch on her Alpine. "I think we need to get away from whatever's heading towards…towards…"

He realised he was repeating himself when he noticed that the entire area was bathed in a gigantic shadow. Both Predators slowly turned around to see something descending from the air towards Tokyo-03 before landing atop of it some distance away, the resulting shockwave knocking them both off their feet. Shinji landed roughly on his back and as he sat back up rubbing his sore head he saw _it _towering above them_._

"M-Merl'we?"

"Whoa," the female Yautja muttered in awe. She then said to Shinji, "Yeah?"

"What… is _this….thing_?"

It was massive, teal in colour and humanoid in shape with large bony structures on its shoulders and torso. It had gill-like structures on its legs, tridactyl hands, and an it's face was beak-like. Shinji felt the colour drain from his face, then he gritted his teeth and forced that little bit of fear that was creeping inside him back down. He looked over at Merl'we, who appeared transfixed by that creature.

"Uh…Blade?"

"Yeah?"

The massive beast moved itself so that it appeared to be looking down on them.

"What do we do now?"

Shinji's eyes widened and he shouted over at her, "What? You're asking me?"

"Sh-Shinji?"

He spun around to see Misato regaining consciousness, slowing opening her eyes which then shot open when she realised they were underneath the beast. She scrambled onto her feet as quickly as her wonky head allowed, using the car as leverage.

"A-Angel!" she exclaimed, clutching her cross pendant. "It's an Angel?"

Shinji recalled an angel as majestic human-like creatures wearing white robes with large bird wings, and not as the abomination towering above them. Shinji turned towards Merl'we, and realised she had disappeared just as Misato had regained consciousness.

He sighed. This was _his_ test, of course, and she had just provided more help to a Unblooded then required.

"Misato?"

"Shit…Shinji," Misato panicked, gripping her cross pendant. "Don't move, alright? It probably doesn't notice we're here…"

She held her tongue when suddenly the 'Angel' got down one knee so that it face was hovering twenty feet above them, shaking the very earth as it did so. Misato gasped, realising how close they were to the creature and realised that it was looking at Shinji. Shinji stepped forward away from the car and Misato, who reached towards him…

"Shinji, NO!"

…and grasped him by the arm. He paused, looked over his shoulder, and reached over with his other hand and forced her hand off him. He smiled reassuringly at her, then looked up and frowned.

**I'm not afraid of you.**

Extending his wrist blade he brought it across his throat, careful not to touch the skin and motioning to the Angel that he was going to kill it. Misato would have screamed at him to get back when suddenly a large, purple blur almost the exact size of the Angel came tearing out of Tokyo-03 centre and ploughed itself into it, knocking it off the highway and into the sea.

Shinji was brought out of his warrior stance and cried out as the shockwave sent him off his feet.

"Wha…REI!" Misato exclaimed. "Shinji!"

She pulled him back onto his feet and dragged him to the car. They instantly burned rubber just as the Angel begun to have the life clobbered out if it. It then threw whatever just barrelled into it off itself and it lunged for it in return.

Shinji turned around to see the Angel fight whatever had just saved him and Misato from it's faceless gaze.

"Is that…an Evangelion Unit?" Shinji asked, taking note of it's rapidly fading purple colour. "It looked different than Unit 00."

"It is, we've got more than one you know!" Misato exclaimed. "And Rei just saved our asses with it!"

"What? Ayanami?"

Shinji gritted his teeth at that revelation.

"Don't start now, please," Misato stated pleadingly at him. "It had to be done, otherwise we'd be dead!"

Shinji shook his head, still fuming.

"Still no excuse."

Misato looked over at him, stunned.

"What?"

(SSJNYH)

_**Yesterday  
**__**NERV HQ**_

_**En-route to Cage #4**_

"SHINJI, HEY SHINJI WHY'D YOU RUN OFF…oh…"

She turned the corner to find Shinji standing in front of the entry way to the EVA cages and before a gurney transporting an unconscious, plug-suited Rei being moved by three doctors; which was not moving at the moment since Shinji was intent on making sure Rei doesn't get past him.

"What's going on here?" Misato demanded.

One of the doctor's cleared his throat and stated, "Ma'am, this young man is blocking our path to the Eva cages…"

"I see that," Misato said. "I'm talking to _him_."

Shinji glared, "She's still hurt and you're making her go into that…thing?"

"It's necessary, kid," another doctor stated loudly and impatiently.

"NO it's not!" Shinji exclaimed, loudly enough to take them back some.

The door behind him opened to reveal a very ticked-off Dr. Akagi. Without turning his head to face her Shinji scowled when he heard her condescending tone of voice.

"What's going on?" she exclaimed, angry. "Captain Katsuragi?"

Misato shrugged, "Ask him. He's not letting Rei through for Unit 00's activation test."

Without letting go of the gurney, Shinji turned to face a frowning Ritsuko.

"I hope you have good reason to disrupt NERV's activities."

Shinji nodded, "I do. She's still hurt."

"So?"

Surprised, then immediately angered by her apparent callousness, Shinji shot back, "So she shouldn't be put into that…monster!"

'Monster?' Misato thought. 'Well that's one way of putting it."

Ritsuko chewed her lip as Shinji continued to glare intensely at her, the would-be alien once again backing her into the figurative corner. One wrong move or word and he would get violent, immediately resulting in death…his death to be exact. The Commander wanted him alive, to spare the Scenario any more setbacks.

She sighed, then addressed the doctors, "Take Pilot Ayanami back to trauma. Cancel the test…for now."

Shinji relaxed and let go of the gurney, allowing it to be carted of back to NERV's hospital wing. Ritsuko gave Shinji a look of silent contempt, before disappearing through the doors back into the EVA cages, leaving Misato and Shinji alone.

Misato didn't know whether to be impressed with Shinji standing up to one of NERV's authority figures or to immediately reprimand him for interfering with NERV's schedule.

"Shinji?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't…do that again," she said. "At least not while I'm around."

He smiled, "Alright."

(SSJNYH)

**Now**

"Hey brat, wake up…"

Shinji was awoken from his flashback by Misato, realising that they were making the descent down through the GeoFront towards NERV HQ. Shinji scratched the back of his head, realising he had been thinking a lot about the past couple of days.

"How's your head?" Shinji asked Misato, noticing she was rubbing the side of her skull.

She lowered her hand and exhaled painfully, "I'll live. No way was I going to let you drive."

Shinji snorted, "Tch…wouldn't have need to anyway."

He appeared sour, further evident once they reached HQ's parking lot and they stepped out of the car and he promptly slammed the door, causing Misato to jump.

Misato sighed, 'Rei.'

(SSJNYH)

"Yes we understand. I'll tell him right now. Good day."

Back in Central Dogma the UN General put the phone receiver down and stood up from his seat, addressing Gendo.

"Ikari, effective immediately command authority for this operation has been given to you and NERV," the General said. He then added, "And I'll be frank. The UN Army likes to see if you can do any better."

Gendo smirked and adjusted his glasses, "Do not concern yourself. This is the purpose of NERV, after all."

"Recovery of Unit 01 complete," Maya stated. "The Pilot is being rushed to emergency."

"Ikari," Kozo said, taking note of Maya's report and stepping towards the Commander. "What do we intend to do now? Ayanami was our only active pilot."

Gendo smiled as he stepped up to the nearest console, "Re-initialise Unit-01…"

Kozo downcast his eyes and sighed inwardly, "You don't mean…"

"Yes."

One the console's screen he saw Shinji, his son, leaning against the wall outside one of NERV's infirmary unit, appearing bored.

"We will just have to make use of the backup pilot."

(SSJYNH)

Leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, Shinji waited outside the infirmary. He could hear Misato telling the medics that she was fine, the doctors insistence that they continue working on her, and the security camera on the ceiling just outside the door peering at him, making those insistent whirring noises as it zoomed in on him.

Shinji looked up at it, and frowned.

**What are you looking at?**

(SSJYNH)

"No, I'm fine…seriously," her head bandaged, Misato tried to stop the medics performing any more tests.

"You may have a concussion, seriously," the doctor on hand responded sternly. "Please, captain."

"Uh…fine," Misato sighed and leaned back against the chair.

The door opened and Ritsuko stepped in. Shinji stood in the doorway, arms still crossed.

Ritsuko was indifferent to Misato predicament, "I was sent to find you and Shinji."

Misato smirked, "And you can't chew us out for being late, either. For the time ever MAGI miscalculated the Angel's arrival."

Ritsuko was silent.

"Yes," she eventually acknowledged. "It did miscalculate."

(SSJYNH)

Soon Ritsuko was lead them NERV's winding hallways, alarms and klaxons sounding off all around them. Shinji noticed every security camera they passed adjusting themselves so that they look at him and after passing four of them he decided to stop glaring back at them. Misato saw this and was about to ask him to stop doing that when…

_Preparing to initialise Unit-01. Pilot report to Cage #3 immediately._

"What?" Misato cried. "They're relaunching Unit 01. That's crazy."

"It's necessary, captain," Ritsuko responded coolly.

Shinji frowned as Misato continued, "You're seriously not making Rei go through all that again."

"If we have to," Ritsuko said. "The Commander rescinded the order to put EVA-01 back into cold storage…"

Shinji listened to both women's banter…

**On the way to…wherever Ritsuko is leading us, they talk about restarting the EVA, all that stuff about re-initialising it, and something called MAGI miscalculating the Angel's arrival and it believing that the creature that's attacking the city (that they insist on calling an Angel) and how, (practically with large words I don't care to know about), that it's instinct that it attack the city. I don't say anything; I just follow behind them, keeping quiet, listening and trying to pieces this jumbled pile of insanity together. **

**They mention the Commander, the man running this madhouse, another three times. If this MAGI predicted that the Angel would attack today, then why leave it until the last minute to prepare? Some Commander this ooman is. Mother would tear his head and spine clean off his shoulders.**

What Misato says next makes me want to care about what they're saying…

"So what will they do for a pilot?" Misato demanded. "Asuka's still training in Germany…"

**Asuka?**

"…Rei sure as hell can't do it. She wouldn't live past launching sequence."

Shinji looked at Ritsuko, waiting to she how she would answer that and daring her to mention Rei again so that he would be able to give her another piece of his mind. However she was quiet as she led them to a large doorway, where it said CAGE #3 on sign next to it.

"It's dark in there, so I suggest you watch your step."

Shinji and Misato glanced at one another warily, then stepped through onto the walkway into the next chamber. Ritsuko flipped a massive switch and the entire chamber let up. They then found themselves staring into the massive, purple, horned, demonic-looking face of Evangelion Unit Zero One. Shinji instinctively curved his back into a fighting stance snarled venomously and extended his wrist blade as if expecting it to attack him, Misato and Ritsuko.

"Calm down, Shinji," Ritsuko said. "It's currently on stand by."

Shinji stood up straight but kept alert, "What…who created these things?"

Misato saw how much Shinji hated the Evangelion, and felt her jaw almost drop when Ritsuko next spoke.

"They are part of Ikari's work…"

Misato felt like yelling at Ritsuko for mentioning Shinji's father. The boy froze, appearing fearful and he felt his heart start beating rapidly in his chest with panic when he heard _that_ name. _THAT_ name.

"I-Ikari?"

"Yes," Ritsuko continued, Misato looking at her pleadingly. "Your _father_."

Shaking in his place, Shinji said quietly, "_My_…father?"

"That's correct."

_That_ voice echoed around the cage and Shinji slowly turned around, almost mechanically, and look upward to see him standing on the observation deck above, the lights shining behind him as if making him out to be of any importance. Shinji's eyes wavered with emotion, long repressed memories returning to him and he immediately felt tears form in the corner as he quickly and unwillingly relived them. He quickly blinked those tears away and forced himself to feel rage and he slowly begin to glare angrily up at him.

"It's been a long time," Gendo coolly said to him, "Shinji."

What came next caught Gendo, and everyone else, off guard. Shinji narrowed his eyes and balled his hands into fists.

"Iiiiiiikaaaaaariiiiiiii…." His hiss chilled the blood of Misato, Ritsuko and the technicians working in the cage.

(SSJYNH)

Gendo saw his son in person for the first time in so long…and with a frown he saw he had changed. He was taller then he expected him to be by a few inches, was built slightly, dressed in a black coat with undershirt and blue jeans and had scars on both his cheeks. He could practically feel his son's anger radiate from him and how both Dr. Akagi and Captain Katsuragi shrunk away from slightly.

"Iiiiiiikaaaaaariiiiiiii…"

**The way he hisses my name. He hates me. Pure, genuine hatred. No doubt nurtured by his Masters.**

**This could be problematic.**

(SSJYNH)

"Shinji?" Misato with concern stepped towards him, stretching her hand forward to shake him from his trance

"Do no approach him, Captain," Gendo ordered him. "Shinji…"

The boy was silent.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully," Gendo said. "Evangelion Unit-01…."

Shinji rolled his eyes so that he briefly glanced at the mecha.

"…you will get inside her…."

Shinji's eyes widened in shock.

"…you will pilot her…"

He then clenched his teeth together in anger.

"…you will fight the Angel."

Shinji said nothing, instead just standing there with his head bowed and with his teeth clenched, getting angrier as each second past.

"WHAT?" Misato all but shouted. "But Commander…!"

Misato panicked. No one said that Shinji would be the one to pilot EVA-01. And seeing first hand how twisted his mind is syncing with the EVA could prove disastrous.

"Sir!" Misato was genuinely pleading. "It took eight months for Ayanami to synch. How do you expect Shinji do it in a short amount of time."

"He just needs to sit in it…"

Shinji's simmering rage caused him to shake slightly.

"…I'm not expecting much from him at this point."

**Much? Your own son for God's sake!**

"But…?" Misato still argued.

"Captain," Ritsuko interrupted all business-like. "At this point in time it's critical that we load someone, no matter who, into the EVA. Anyone who is capable of syncing with the EVA. Unless of course…"

She narrowed her eyes.

"You have an alternative?

Misato become silent, then glared at Ritsuko. The faux-blonde felt a chill spread through her body.

"No."

"What?" Ritsuko raised her eyebrows.

"It's not a good idea," Misato replied, looking at Shinji and seeing that he was lost in his anger, standing there oblivious to anything else.

Gendo looked down at Misato, "You're concern is warranted, Captain, and ignored. Dr. Akagi…"

"Yes, sir."

Ritsuko stepped towards Shinji, stretching her hand towards his shoulder.

"Shinji, if you would just come with me…"

Her hand touched him.

Shinji's eyes widened

Time froze.

Eveything became silent.

SMACK!

And Ritsuko fell backwards onto the ground, dropping her clipboard and immediately nursing redness on the side of her face. Gasps went all around the cage as Shinji was turned in Ritsuko direction, his left hand raised and anguish on his face; immediately upset with himself that he had struck her, a female no less, in his anger.

**If Mother found out I did that, she'd beat me.**

"Y…you were…going to make me…?"

Ritsuko cried out loudly, then looked up at Shinji fearfully. She expected him to turn on Misato, but he didn't, instead looking upward at Gendo.

Misato however tried to get his attention, "Shinji, I swear I did…"

Shinji saw that Gendo's eyes were staring into his and he shouted, "You want put me into that thing?"

"It will not function with a pilot, and you're the only candidate we have," Gendo stated.

"What makes you think I'll do it?" Shinji growled.

"If you don't, we will be destroyed. And humanity will soon follow."

What Shinji said next didn't just chill the blood of everyone present, except for Gendo, but they swore the entire chamber dropped a few degrees.

"No!" Shinji shouted in rage, raising his right wristblade towards him. "Ell-osde c'jit! I never do anything you tell me!"

Misato looked at him with a sad, pained look as Shinji begun to fall about, his broken Japanese once again evident. Shinji glanced over at her, his soft, pain-filled eyes betraying his gritty, fierce expression, which one could believe he didn't mean what he had just said. Gendo stared back, not as intensely with the some resolve, albeit quieter and less confrontational, unconcerned that he had slugged Dr. Akagi and confident that he can bend his wayward to his will.

"You don't have that _much_ resentment for humanity, Shinji," Gendo calmly said.

"Come down here and say that to face!" the boy replied. "I show you how much!"

"Shinji!" Ritsuko managed to stand back up, still rubbing her face. "You must li…"

"Shut up, ell-osde Lou-dte Kalei!" he shot the insult straight at her, which was lost to Ritsuko and was something he never would have said with a calm mind. He looked back up at Gendo, "You kill me, like you killed my _bearer_?"

For the first time in so long Gendo raised his eyebrows in curiosity at Shinji's statement.

"Yui?" he said quietly to himself. He then raised his voice at Shinji. "What did you say?"

"YOU HEARD ME, ZAZIN!"

He then stepped towards the edge of the walkway, foot a inch near the edge, closed his eyes and screamed upward at Gendo, unleashing years worth of rage at him through four words.

"I'LL KILL YOU, IKARI!"

Misato felt her jaw drop to the floor as he practically exploded in a barrage of alien curses, never before being exposed to such unbridled anger and hatred directed towards somehow who no doubt so thoroughly deserved it. Ritsuko stepped away from him, genuinely terrified now.

At the end of his long tirade, Shinji was struggling to catch his briefly, now utterly bereft. Misato could see tears running down his face, and right now didn't care that oblivion was on their doorstep, now only thinking about her charge.

**Shinji…**

"I see," Gendo said. "You have made clear your intentions to let humanity perish…"

He then turned around and tapped the wall console.

"Fuyutsuki. Wake Rei…"

Shinji's eye shot open, as did Misato; now outraged.

He wouldn't…

_Can we use her?_ came Kozo's response.

"She's not dead. That's enough."

(SSJNYH)

A minute later Rei was wheeled into the cage, a breathing mask over her silent, pained, gasping face. Shinji looked on horror…

**No!**

…as she was stopped in front of the EVA. Shinji was breathing rapidly in panic, imagining Rei being placed back into that monster and what would happen to her. He then looked up at Gendo, more enraged than before.

**You tetch'na**!

"Rei, our replacement is useless," Gendo stated plainly. "You will have to pilot again."

Shinji and Misato felt their hearts wrenched out of their chests as Rei look up at the observation room and croaked painfully, "Yes…sir."

Gendo turned his attention back to Shinji, "I have seen you interacting with her. You would let her, in her condition, pilot in your place just so you can keep up your meaningless, indoctrinated defiance?"

Still gritting his teeth, Shinji glared back at him. "Tetch'na!"

Gendo appeared unfazed by that remark.

Just as Rei tried to force herself up from gurney, tremors shook the entire GeoFront, causing pieces of the ceiling to fall.

"The Angel has discovered our position!" Gendo called out.

The gurney suddenly toppled over with Rei on and Shinji instinctively darted over towards her, catching her in his arms. Crouching with one knee on the ground he held her, her right hand on her chest which felt her weak heartbeat.

"Ayanami?"

Rei forced her eyes open to see Shinji staring back at her, his look of determination slowly melting into a relieved smile.

"I-Ikari?" she said weakly.

"Please don't call me that," Shinji responded quietly, still smiling.

He saw Misato approaching him, a pleading look on his face.

"Shinji," she begun, briefing noting Ritsuko impatient frown. "I can imagine what you are feeling right now."

"You can?" Shinji interrupted, angry once again. "You said you didn't know this would happen!"

"I didn't."

"I believe you," Shinji growled.

Misato briefly felt relief wash over her.

"But…but I don't see any other way out of this," Misato stated the truth. "And you know that."

**I do.**

Shinji nodded, "But I can't…"

"Why not?" Misato asked, now genuinely fearing death.

"Because _he's_ man I swore to find!" Shinji pointed up at Gendo. "The man I swore before High Elder to…"

He looked determined once again.

"…to _**kill**_**!**"

Rei's eyes shot open, surprised with him. She then passed out from the effort. Misato, however, was shocked.

"What?"

Gendo frowned, having heard that. He tapped another button on the console.

"I kill him," Shinji continued. "I become Blooded! I become true part of clan."

Misato gazed over Shinji's head towards NERV Guards approaching them the cage entrance. Ritsuko turned to see more guards entering from the cage's other entrance. Misato looked up at Gendo, apprehensive. Ritsuko appeared indifferent and Shinji gently laid Rei on the ground and stood up, with his posture and look that spoke of defiance.

"Commander?"

"I did not anticipate the Third Child putting himself, the aliens that are his masters and his barbaric obsession with killing me before humanity, captain," Gendo stated, ever calm. "Therefore, we must pacify him before all is lost."

Shinji looked both ways of the walkway, counting eight guards approaching him, Ritsuko, Misato and Rei. They were armed with handguns and he saw the closest one to his left reaching behind himself and producing a pair of handcuffs. Shinji growled throatily like a wild animal, causing Misato to turn back him, afraid.

"S-Shinji?" Misato stuttered. She then shouted up at Gendo. "This isn't necessary, Commander!"

"Our survival depends on the activation of Unit-01," Ritsuko stated heatedly. "I thought better of you, Katsuragi."

"Not like this!" Misato cried.

"Stand down, captain!" Gendo ordered her. "Guards…"

"Yes, sir?"

"Restrain him, then prep him for entry…"

The Guard with the cuffs lunged at him first, asking for Shinji to not resist. Shinji however was too quick and punched him in the throat, making him drop the cuffs and stagger backwards and fell to the ground, gripping his throat as he struggled to breathe. He then snarled, turned towards Misato…

"Down!"

"Wha…ARGH!"

…and pushed her to the ground, before reaching into his jacket and pulling out his combistick. He extended it's telescopic-like blades as he spun it around his head and Ritsuko instinctively ducked as he swung the spear above his head then held it threateningly at the guards, poised to strike.

Stunned, the remaining guards trained their guns at him. Misato shook where she lay, afraid of what he was going to do next. Ritsuko glanced up at Gendo, fearful of what the man was going to say next.

Gendo, however, was silent. He just stood there, looking down at Shinji surrounded by guards all keeping their distance from him and his spear.

"No matter how much _you think_ you've changed, Third," Gendo let his authority be known again to those standing, literally, below him. "You would not bring yourself to kill other humans. And _you_ know that."

Shinji glanced up, eyes wavering with realisation that he was trapped. Gendo appeared to smirk…

"I know how you think, Third Child. You have not surprised me."

**No!**

Shinji panicked…

**I'm trapped!**

**There's no way out!**

**Tetch'na! He knows it!**

…he then and snarled viciously.

**NO!**

"NAN-DETHAN-GAUN!"

**I'LL GO DOWN TAKING _YOU _WITH ME, IKARI!**

He bellowed out his war cry as he turned towards him and suddenly hurled the spear upward at Gendo. Misato shrieked…

"SHINJI, NO!"

…the mechanical hardware inside the spear propelling it forward towards the observation deck like a missile…

(SSJNYH)

…it's business end pointed at Gendo as it smashed through the glass and pierced the side of Gendo face, ripping open his cheek starting from his lips all the way to his ear and knocking his glasses off his face. Gendo felt his cool demeanour crumble and turn into that of pain and horror as he fell backwards on the ground, clutching his torn face and gritting his teeth tightly enough so that he wouldn't scream.

**Pain! Inflicted…from…him…this is…not right… Of…all...people!**

**Yui!**

**This…should not…have happened…the Scenario…**

**Pain!**

(SSJNYH)

Everyone in the cage was silent, in shock, in a daze, none more than Ritsuko who covered her mouth with her hand in horror. They all looked up at the observation deck, the spear through the window, the blood splattered all around it and where Gendo used to stand he was now lying on his back clutching his face and keeping it together. His blood poured out onto a small puddle on the ground and trying not to scream from the pain. It wasn't long, however, that fate decided to be merciful and he passed out.

**They haven't shot him yet! Are they _that_ shocked! I know I am!**

Despite the weapons they had that could put him in down in an instant, the NERV security guards felt like they were powerless against the vengeful warrior standing before them, who no longer cared about their presence instead looking upward at observation and it's bloodied window. Curved Blade, the Predator and possibly Supreme Commander of NERV's Gendo Ikari's assassin. Misato looked at Shinji, speechless.

**I…I can't believe…what I just saw. He would…let us all die…**

**He hates us _that_ much.**

"Shinji…"

He turned towards her, and saw how much sadness and shame she felt for him. She looked away from him.

"Shinji…"

Shinji eyes widened, before he narrowed them and growled again. He then muttered, or cursed, something in the alien language.

(SSJYNH)

**I know I haven't killed you. If I'm going to let myself get used by you, Ikari, I'll make sure you feel nothing _but_ pain for as long as you have me.**

Satisfied for the moment with just badly hurting Gendo and knowing that there was no way out of this situation but to go forward, he retracted his wristblade and stepped towards Ritsuko.

**Mother was right. There's no way out of this but forward.**

Looking down at her, he said, "I'll do it."

Ritsuko almost gasped while Misato looked at him, bewildered.

"W-what?" Misato was flabbergasted. All that effort and blood spilt just to keep himself from becoming one of Commander Ikari's pawns and he had just _decided_ to submit.

Determined, Shinji replied. "I'll pilot the EVA. Not for _him_…"

He indicated the unconscious, maimed Gendo up on the platform.

"For myself."

He then glanced down at Rei, then over at Misato, eyes now softened.

**And for the oomans I think are worth…saving...**

* * *

Ki'ct-pa – Wristblade  
Chiva – Trial  
Kainde Amedha Chiva – Hard Meat Trial  
Nain-desintye-de - "The Pure Win", absolute victory  
Pauk – Fuck  
Ka'rik'na – 'The summoning' (of other Yautja)  
Nan-dethan-gaun – Battle cry, fight to death "kiss of midnight"  
Combistick – Extendable spear weapon  
Ell-osde c'jit – Damn you  
Lou-dte Kalei – Baby Maker (female insult)  
Zazin – Self-centred  
Tetch'na - Bastard

With my decision on arming Shinji with a cliched weapon such as a nodachi, it was meant as a connection between him and the Samurai, which the Yautja percieve him to be descended from. And with Shinji practically taking half of Gendo's face off with a spear...I don't think that's been done yet in the fandom.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm already hard at work on Chapter 10 and hopefully it won't take too long. And we'll Shinji at his absolute BRUTAL!


	11. Chapter 10: Price of God

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

Corrections made: _Size of Evangelion Unit 01_

_A/N: The title of this chapter is what 'Sachiel' means. Anyway, here's a hopefully different take on the battle with the Third Angel, and a very significant twist towards the end.  
_

* * *

Chapter 10 – Price of God (Berserker)

Strapped to his intriguingly designed pilot seat, Shinji laid back in the cockpit section of what was known as the 'entry plug', his hands gripping the control reins as he waited for deployment. After been given a brief lecture on the operation of the Evangelion by Ritsuko (who not surprisingly kept her distance from him) Misato escorted him to the cylinder entry plug, which she explained would be inserted into the EVA. Shinji then had nonchantly torn off his coat and shirt, leaving him in a black singlet and attached these two headpiece devices Ritsuko called A-10 Connectors to his head then hopped into the plug.

It was now that he begun to question himself…

**C'jit! What am I doing in here? I made it clear I wouldn't do anything _he'd_ tell me to do. I even split _his_ face open, less then a third of seven years worth of payback, and that definitely sent the message across. But _he_ showed me Ayanami, carted her right in front of me in her miserable state. The way she tried to pull herself out of that gurney…and he would have made her pilot this thing if I didn't do it. I couldn't let him do that do her…I…I'm doing this for her? I feel drawn to her. And not for the reason Nam and Merl'we _would_ suggest. If they saw her, they'd be all over me, telling me to be all over _her_. Ah…I'm the lowest for thinking that…Misato…is this for her as well? I suppose…I couldn't let her die by some freak alien's hand, not after she put up with me for three days instead of just leaving me down here with…_him_. The way she stood up for me, I guess she really didn't know NERV would try to force me into this monster…**

He rubbed his bridge of his nose.

**Uhhh…yeah, the way she yelled at **_**him**_** she genuinely didn't know **_**he**_** and Akagi were planning to put me into…**

He quickly inhaled and his eyes widened, remembering he had played right into their hands. And not before slapping and scaring them in the process.

**C'jit! Akagi's cold…I felt it somehow… Now angry and determined to get himself out of he, he gritted his teeth and begun exhaling viciously. I need to kill something! And no one will seem to mind if it's that gigantic abomination tearing the city apart above me.**

And I won't die EITHER!

(SSJNYH)

_Cooling down cycle complete!_

_All internal cage systems in docking position!_

From Central Dogma Kozo stood where Gendo would have been sitting while Misato, Ritsuko and the technicians present below could see Shinji's determined, battle-hardened look on Makoto's screen. Unknown to them before today he was the apprentice of one of the galaxy's deadliest and most unorthodox hunters, having learnt everything she knew and almost became officially Blooded if he had killed Commander Ikari. Now he's a drafted pilot of NERV about to wield one of the most powerful weapons humanity has ever created and could tear the whole city apart if NERV wasn't quick enough to stop him.

Speaking of Commander Ikari he had been rushed to surgery for his open face wound just as Shinji was being prepped. Misato wondered if he was going to be put in the stockade for attempting to kill Ikari if they survive the coming sortie as Sachiel – the name given to the Angel that was attacking them, waited for them above. Silently she prayed that Shinji would win, and deliver the justice she had been waiting to see for nearly fifteen years.

She frowned. She still had her doubts though, as she looked into Shinji's brown orbs on the screen and the way he stared back with beastly intent.

**We just gave a 200 metre tall death machine to an alien indoctrinated child soldier that blew up a spaceship, killed a bunch of JSSDF, killed a giant alien insect, broke the wrists of two security guards, almost crushed another guard's windpipe, brutalised two NERV Intelligence Agents and tore open the Commander's face.**

**And the only thing stopping him from turning on us with EVA-01 at his command is a few keyboard strokes and a slight raise of LCL pressure. It wouldn't be a glorious end for him that's for sure.**

She then shook her head and crossed her arms.

**No, that won't be necessary. He won't turn on us.**

Her face appeared softer and she lost the frown.

**He won't turn on me.**

_Pilot has reached the cockpit position of the plug!_

_Roger, inserting entry plug!_

"Plug lock-in procedure complete!" Maya reported from her seat. "Initiating first level interface."

Misato's eyes widened, knowing what meant.

**Oh Hell…**

(SSJNYH)

Flooding entry plug…

"Eh? Wha…ARGH!"

Shinji cried out when he saw a orange-yellow liquid begun to rise up from his feet and flood the plug.

"WHAT'S THIS…?" Shinji immediately panicked and struggled in his seat. "M-Misato!"

_Don't panic, Shinji, _he heard Misato speak to him over the communication channel. _LCL. It'll link you directly to the EVA._

"Huh?"

_You'll be able to breathe in it,_ Misato added. _Relax, let it engulf you and just breathe normally._

Still in panic yet trusting her words, Shinji stopped struggling and allowed himself to be consumed by the LCL, almost choking as his lungs adjusted to breathing liquid. Shinji closed his eyes as he felt himself almost swimming in…blood? His slowly opened his eyes, seeing everything in orange as his eyes quickly got used to the liquid.

**Smells…tastes like…blood!**

Shinji gasped as his environment begun to change, he then found himself plunged into darkness.

_Just relax,_ Misato tried to keep him still.

Easy for you to say. You're not being practically injected into this…darkness?Main power connected! All circuits functioning normally!Initiating power-up sequence!

Shinji felt pressure in his head where his A-10 connectors were and the plug's environment rapidly changed. The plug lit up and he immediately he could see words fly past him…

Those words: Anger, Hatred, Violence, Bloodshed!

**What?**

He could hear Maya's voice over the intercom…

A-10 Neural synapses operating within normal limits. First contact all clear!

_Opening Reciprocal circuits…_

Shinji's eyes widened…

"Wha…?"

And he found himself in blazing agony as it felt like his nowarched back was being cut open with a sword…

"ARGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

(SSJNYH)

Shinji's psychograph and synograph went haywire… WARNING! ABNORMALITY DETECTED

"WHAT THE HELL…?" Misato shouted in panic, hearing Shinji's scream and seeing him trying to struggle out of his seat, curving his back upward. "WHAT'S HAPPENING TO HIM?"

"I…I don't know!" Ritsuko exclaimed, staring at the screen. "Synchro errors are within 0 percent, this...!"

"Wh…what's that mean?" Misato gritted her teeth as Shinji continued to scream. "He should be compatible then! What's happening to him, TELL ME…?"

"I..." Ritsuko was taken back by Misato's loud voice. She tried to understand as she watched the screen displaying EVA-01's synchronisation graph. "The A-10 system when it synched his mind with the EVA it must have triggered something…"

She then rubbed her chin anxiously.

"Embedded. Like a.…a bad memory or pain; an intense pain that's he's suffered before; like he can't forget…"

And Shinji had to have a lot of them.

"Oh shit!" Misato cried. "SHINJI!"

(SSJNYH)

My…my back…feels like… last year…

**Pauk! The scar on my back…!**

He closed his eyes as his mind projected the images of the most horrible day of his life. He couldn't shut out the sounds, the voices…and the pain…

**NO! NOT THIS _AGAIN_!**

(SSJNYH)

_**A Year Ago…**_

"YOU LITTLE PAUK! YOUR LITTLE KNIFE JUST SCARRED MY BACK!"

WHAMP!

He felt like he was just punched and sent flying into the air…

THUD!

…and landing on his stomach, feeling something inside of him break, possibly a rib.

"Ahhhh….ahhhh…M-Merl'we…!"

"Ell-osde c'jit you little Pyode Amedha scum! How dare you interrupt your better!"

"Me…Merl'we…where…?"

"That slut of a Lou-dte Kalei is still tied down! You haven't done anything to stop me! All you did was just delay me!"

"Y-you hurt her…I-I'll KILL YOU! KILL YOU!"

"You can't kill me! Heh…and I won't kill you either. I'm just going to teach you and your bitch of a handler a lesson in respect!"

He felt himself trying to get up. But then felt a large foot down on his small frame that pinned him down. Shinji gritted his teeth as he appeared angry.

"What are y-you…?"

**NO!**

He heard the sound of steel leaving it's sheath.

SHIIINNGGGGG!

He felt it touch the back end of his neck….

He screamed…

"SHINJI!"

(SSJNYH)

_**Now…**_

Shinji felt his nightmare disappear and he found himself back in the entry plug when he heard Misato's voice shout at him through the intercom. Panting, he immediately sat back in his seat, tears escaping his eyes and floating around him as little droplets. The intense pain in his back begun to subside and he forced himself to remain conscious.

S-Shinji? Misato's voice was calmer, and warmer now.

"I-I'm fine now," Shinji said quietly, eyes closed as he forced the last of his tears to fall. "Y-you just brought me back, th-thank you…"

(SSJNYH)

Misato was speechless, watching him panting on the screen, before swallowing softly, sucking it up and relaxing back into his seat, that look of determination returning to his person.

**I…I brought him back? From where?**

Ritsuko shook his head, "I've never seen anything like that before."

"Captain. Normally in this situation the Commander would never bring this up; Shinji's psychological welfare is your responsibility, so it's your call," Kozo called down to her. "Shall we proceed…"

Misato became silent, where all eyes now turned to her. The amount of anxiety in the room was enough to figuratively choke on. She stared at the defiant, impatient face of the Third Child and frowned.

"Prepare to launch!" she exclaimed.

She then stared intensely at the screen.

**What's that warrior mind of yours thinking, Shin-chan?**

(SSJNYH)

_Releasing primary lock bolt!_

Shinji continued to hear Maya and Makato's announcement over the intercom and the EVA vibrating as the various locks and restraints were torn off EVA-01's form, feeling himself slowly moving upward.

Release confirmed! Releasing umbilical bridge!

**What just happened to me? That…that felt so real! Like I was back there, years ago, at that exact moment when…**

_Releasing primary and secondary restraints!_

He shook his head and growled.

**No!  
**

_Internal battery fully charged!_

_External power outlet minimal!_

Transporting EVA-01 to Launch Elevator!

He closed his eyes, and recanted Gaun's words to himself.

**What to remember when on the hunt:**

**Cowardice means shame! Fear means shame! Inaction means shame. Shame means death!**

**I'm not a coward! I'm not afraid of anything and I'm doing something: I'm fighting the Angel!**

**And I have no shame.**

EVA-01 has arrived at Elevator! Gate 5, stand by!

_Launch path clear! All green!_

**I have no shame. None at all.**

(SSJNYH)

Launch preparations are complete!

"Roger!" Misato exclaimed.

She looked up at Kozo, expecting to see Gendo sitting next to him but was absent. At first she was worried, no terrified, that without Gendo's authority they wouldn't have been able to prepare for this battle in the short time they were given but she underestimated her own leadership qualities and that of the Sub-Commander.

"If Ikari was here," Kozo said. "He would say that if we fail to defeat the Angels humanity has no future."

Misato nodded, and turned to the main screen that displayed EVA-01 at the launch elevator directly below Gate 5.

"LAUNCH!" she ordered out loud.

(SSJNYH)

Shinji instinctively gripped the reins as he felt himself elevated upward rapidly. He shut his eyes tightly as he felt like gravity was crushing him. He was only used to being _descended_ at a rapid pace with use of the clan's drop pods, and those were only on two occasions, and that included landing on Earth from the mother ship alongside Gaun, Merl'we, Nam and four other young bloods.

Blast doors at the other end of the elevator opened and sunlight assaulted his senses as he found himself standing in the centre of Tokyo-03's main road. Standing a dozen blocks away waiting for him was the enemy:

Sachiel, the Third Angel.

Recovering from deployment, Shinji frowned as he stared down the Angel from within the plug, within Evangelion Unit 01.

**Was this thing waiting for me?**

_Shinji?_ Misato said.

"Yeah?"

_This is it, you ready?_

"Yeah!"

_Releasing final safety locks._

The cage's locks on EVA-01's shoulder plating disengaged and he felt himself, or rather EVA-01, step forward.

_Good luck, Shinji,_ Misato said, Shinji sensing pleading within in her voice.

**Luck? When have I ever had it?**

EVANGELION UNIT ONE LIFT OFF!

(SSJYNH)

_Are you watching this, Mr. Weyland?_

"I am, Ms. Yutani," Peter Weyland responded as he watched the satellite feed of Tokyo-3 where EVA-01 and Sachiel were staring each other down. "Now if we may conclude our corporations' merge by the end of this week, we can commence operations immediately."

_It'll be done. If your father was watching this…_

"The old fool would have regretted turning down investment in GEHIRN," Weyland replied, bitterly. "With NERV, however, I'm planning something with a more hands-on approach. Now…"

He crossed his arms as he focused on the screen.

"Let's see what the son of Yui Ikari can do."

(SSJYNH)

"What's the Angel doing?" Maya questioned out loud, seeing that Sachiel was standing there doing nothing, as was EVA-01.

"Shinji!" she exclaimed.

_Yes?_

"Try walking."

_How?_

Better make this as clear as I can.

"Just think," Misato answered. "Just think about the very concept of walking."

(SSJYNH)

**Walk?**

Shinji gripped the reins.

**Walk!**

Slowly, almost hesitantly, EVA-01 took one step forward…

"WHOA!"

…Shinji tussling about in his plug as the gigantic biomech tripped over it's own feet and came crashing down on the street. Shinji instinctively thought of putting his left hand forward to brace himself and EVA-01 automatically did so.

_YOU DID IT!_ Misato practically squealed with happiness.

Shinji gritted his teeth…

**Get up!**

EVA-01 stood back up on his feet, and Sachiel still stood there, almost patiently. Shinji's eye widened when it hit him that…

**This thing…is controlled by my thoughts…Hmm…**

Shinji thought about moving his arm forward, just thinking about it, not physically doing it. Sure enough EVA-01 stretched his left arm forward, then Shinji thought about waving his left hand in front of his/EVA-01's face.

**Whoa…!**

He/EVA-01 then balled his/it's left hand into a fist then pounded it into his/EVA-01's right hand.

**This…this is…WHOA!**

_SHINJI! _

**This…THIS IS AWESOME!**

(SSJNYH)

"What's he doing?" Ritsuko demanded angrily, her happiness that Shinji made EVA-01 walk disappeared when Shinji begun to practically play with the EVA.

"Uh…getting a feel for the EVA?" Makoto guessed out loud, then reported. "The Target is still standing there."

Stepping forward, Ritsuko shouted.

"SHINJI!"

_What?_ Shinji shot back, causing Ritsuko to flinch from his tone.

"Stop playing around and engage the enemy!" she exclaimed.

"Akagi!" Misato exclaimed at her in turn.

**She's been on edge since Shinji tore open the Commander's face. What gives?**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji frowned and willed EVA-01 to lower it's arm back to it's side…

**'Engage the enemy'? Riiigggghhhtttt…no rush though, it's just standing there.**

He narrowed his eyes at Sachiel, whom was just standing there doing nothing.

**Is it waiting for me to attack?**

He then pictured himself giving the Angel a 'I'll-slit-your-throat' motion and EVA-01 did so.

**Remember me?**

(SSJYNH)

"What the…?"

Everyone saw EVA-01 threaten Sachiel.

"MOVEMENT!" Shigeru shouted out loud. "TARGET'S MOVING FORWARD!"

(SSJYNH)

**It's recognises me.**

**And it _wants_ to kill me now?**

Despite it's size Sachiel was fast as it charged at EVA-01, immediately swinging it's left arm that went through a high rise building and sending debris hurtling towards the Evangelion as it first aimed at EVA-01's head.

Shinji reacted almost instinctively, gripping the reins and drew upon one of his memories of the training sessions when he was ten-years old, where he had dodged Nam's sideward wristblade slash and had rolled backwards across the dirt to get some space between himself and his trainer.

EVA-01 made it happen, dodging Sachiel's strike and getting at least four city blocks worth of distance between itself and the Angel, making Shinji felt nauseous as EVA-01 came to a stop and stood up, back straight in defiance of it's opponent. And Shinji noticed for the first time that he a massive cable was connected to his back.

**Umbilical cable! Primary power source!**

**Akagi wasn't kidding.**

_H…holy…shit…_ Misato sounded like she was breathless. _Shinj, the way you moved…that was…w-whoa…_

"Misato?" Shinji cried.

_Right! Attack it, Shinji. Use your fists, the way you're controlling the EVA just keep doing it.  
_

"R-right," Shinji stuttered a little.

Sachiel moved to attack him, swing it's right fist. EVA-01 raised it's right hand and caught it, then Shinji brought EVA-01's left fist back and punched it in it's avian skull, sending it stumbling backwards into a building and completely demolishing it

Shinji's eyes widened in shock.

**Whoops…**

(SSJNYH)

Misato and almost all of the bridge crew couldn't keep the smile off their faces when they all saw EVA-01's fist connect with Sachiel's head…

**YEAH! First strike!**

…which all faded when the Angel toppled into the structure and crushing it, and whomever was still inside it.

**NO!**

(SSJNYH)

"YAAARGGHHHH…C'JIT!"

Merl'we had just managed to get clear from the Angel as it collapsed into the building, bringing up dust and debris into the air. Adjusting her vision modes she could see EVA-01 standing some distance away, waiting for Sachiel to get back up. Ducking behind an abandoned car, still cloaked, the Huntress observed the ruins of the building.

**How many oomans were in that building? They were still going into those shelters when that big biomech came out of the ground and that giant…mutant…bird fish charged it.**

She then snorted.

**Amateur, whoever's piloting that…that…**

Looking at EVA-01 and scrolling through the view modes of her biomask she landed on tech-view and could see Yautja technology outlines, specifically wrist-comps, coming from within the mech's back. She gasped when she recognised the comp devices patterns, which were unique and individual to each Hunter that wore them.

**CURVED BLADE?!**

(SSJYNH)

Gaun was perched on another building some distance away, watching the battle unfold and seeing Sachiel get back up and slowly advance towards EVA-01.

**You became it's pilot. It was unavoidable after all.**

(SSJYNH)

"God…"

Misato rubbed her forehead stressfully.

"Evacuation was incomplete, damn it," she reminded herself, and everyone else, out loud. "Casualties?"

Maya covered her mouth in sadness as she read the statistics, "Fifty-six people were still in that building when it…oh God…"

"Suck it up, Ibuki," Shigeru groused. "We haven't lost yet."

Everyone, except for Kozo, almost jumped out of their skin when Shinji unleashed another war cry…

(SSJYNH)

"RAAAAARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

EVA-01 struck Sachiel across the torso with it's fists in a one-two motion, before delivering an uppercut that sent it staggering back some more before it toppled over and landed on it's back into another building.

Shinji cursed out loud…

"C'JIT!"

(SSJYNH)

"Twenty casualties confirmed," Maya's sorrowful report came in.

Kozo watched the screen intently.

**Eighty-six civilians dead. MAGI estimated zero to ten civilian casualties even when the evacuations were complete, but that was until the Angel arrived earlier than predicted.**

**Earlier? Why did it arrive earlier? That's the real question.**

**For Shinji, perhaps?**

(SSJYNH)

"Misato!" Shinji exclaimed, angrily.

_Yeah?_

"Are there any people still around where I am?"

_N-no. Don't worry, they're all in the shelters. It's just you and the Angel right now._

Shinji snorted, knowing the truth that people were dead because of him.

**You're lying. It's you're voice.**

(SSJYNH)

**He knows I'm lying. It's my voice.**

"CAPTAIN!" Makoto cried.

"HUH? NO…!"

(SSJYNH)

"RAARGHHH!"

Shinji brought EVA-01's fists down upon the fallen Angel, but was surprised when it raised both his hands and grabbed his. He gritted his teeth when he felt pressure on his wrists…

"Eh?"

…before feeling his left wrist snap.

"ARGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

The pain amplified tenfold due to his connection to the EVA, was none like that he's felt before. He couldn't hold back the scream, before he felt his wind knocked out of him as Sachiel kicked him, or rather EVA-01, in the stomach and he was sent falling backward and slamming into another structure, taking a fair chunk out of it.

**PAUK…that hurt! I can feel this thing's PAIN?**

_SHINJI, MOVE! _Misato screamed at him desperately. IT'S HEADING STRAIGHT FOR YOU! GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!

**Easy for you to say! You're not the one piloting this thing with your mind! AH…!**

EVA-01 tried standing back up, but the Angel was upon him, gripping him by the neck and lifting him upwards before grabbing his left arm and stretching it. The feedbacks caused his left him for real to stretch and could only watch in horror as he felt it dislocate.

"AHHHHHH!"

(SSJNYH)

"SHINJI!" Misato cried.

"Arm has sustained critical damage!" Maya exclaimed. "Disconnecting circuits, re-routing connections…!"

"DO SOMETHING, RITSUKO!" Misato shouted at the doctor. "Shinji's not going to last!"

"Lower the feedback!" Ritsuko suddenly ordered Maya.

(SSJYNH)

Shinji felt the pain in his arm lessen and mentally ordered EVA-01 to punch Sachiel in the 'face' with it's free hand, temporary stunning it and allowing the EVA to place it's feet on it's body and push off it, allowing him break free and get some distance, knocking down another structure in the process and causing and explosion which shook the entire city.

He could feel the flames lick at his back as he struggled to get EVA-01 back on it's feet. He gritted his teeth, trying to hold back tears of pain.

"Hurts…" he whimpered. "Hurts…a-agony…"

_Shinji, listen,_ Misato tried to consol him. _What was dislocated wasn't your arm…_

"IT SURE FELT LIKE IT!" Shinji shouted her into silence, frustrated as he nursed his stricken arm. "What do I do?

_J-just walk yourself out of that building. We'll think of something…just hold on…_

Seeing Sachiel approach him, Shinji gained control of his emotions and appeared stoic. He gritted his teeth as EVA-01 grabbed hold of it's own left arm before one loud crunch later…

CRACK!

"AH!"

…it relocated and restored it's own arm. It then relocated it's hand…

"CRACK!"

"OW!"

…and moved it around, trying to restore feeling to it. He then clenched it into a fist.

(SSJNYH)

"EVA-01's left arm and wrist restored!" Maya reported in surprise.

"What?" Ritsuko cried. "How?"

"He…he did it himself," Misato answered, rubbing her hand together nervously. "He…he just imagined relocating his own arm and…God…"

"This is impossible," Ritsuko stated, almost pacing within the control centre. "His control over the EVA, it's almost…natural for him. He shouldn't be at this level…"

Misato saw merit in Ritsuko analysis. She half-expected the Angel to be on top of Shinji the moment he stepped in, and were surprised when he threw the first blow and it connected. For a minute as the Angel ran towards EVA-01 she thought that Shinji would panic and the Angel would be on top of him almost instantly and that the personnel in Central Dogma would have to bust their own backs trying to persuade Shinji to throw a punch. But Shinji, the warrior that he is, stepped up to the challenge and threw that first punch all by himself.

The bastards that trained him warped his mind and that's rubbing off the EVA. Of course piloting it would be natural for him. All he could do is picture himself hacking some oversized cockroach in half and the EVA would do it...even if it doesn't have a sword or anything remotely sharp.

But hearing his screams and his brief saddening whimpers of pain, she remembered he was still vulnerable. Vulnerable inside a foreign environment, the plug, which would be nothing like wherever he's being in those seven years not on planet Earth.

"Status," Ritsuko said, drawing Misato attention to her. "What is EVA-01's status?"

"Moderate damage to arm and wrist, but it still has full mobility," Maya reported.

"He's engaging the enemy!" Makoto reported. "He's charging!"

"What?" Misato turned back to the screen

(SSJNYH)

Shinji bellowed out loud again when EVA-01 suddenly charged Sachiel, grabbing the Angel and tackling it. They skidded across the road, their feet nicking and damaging structure but luckily not knocking over any more.

EVA-01 became pummelling the Angel in the face, it's fists moving like a piston and not giving it a change to counter. EVA-01 then gripped it's left arm with it's left forearm and with it's left hand, and with it's right fist Shinji commanded it to bring it down on it's arm, with one shattering of bone it separated from the rest of it's body.

EVA-01 then tossed the severed forearm over it's shoulder, Shinji panting as he felt the adrenaline spike in him and he felt his face slowly twist into a smile.

_Shinji! Do you see that red orb in the centre of the Angel?_

His smile faded, hearing Misato again.

"Yeah!"

_Target that!_ Misato ordered. _That has to be the core, it's weak spot._

"Right! GAH…!"

He then felt Sachiel strike it's head with his right first.

"AH!" the feedback caused Shinji to cover the left side of his face as it seared in pain. "PAUK!"

_Shinji, look out!_

Sachiel tackled EVA-01 in turn and then gripped it's head with his left hand. Shinj could see the hollow palm begun to light up and he put his hand forward to shield himself from the glare.

**Is that a particle beam? Oh c'jit IT IS!**

_Move Shinji! You're a sitting duck just lying there! MOVE!_

EVA-01kicked Sachiel off itself, this time it propelled itself into the air, spun itself so that it's head and torso were facing the EVA and then aimed it's hand at it. It was sent propelled many miles above into the air as it fired a blueish-white beam straight downward at EVA-01 and Shinji.

"ARGH!"

Shinji cried out as he rolled out of the direction of the beam as it struck the road where EVA-01 had being lying, nicking the right side of EVA-01's face…

"ARGHHHHHHHHH!" Shinji screamed as he covered his right eye as it seared in pain.

The resulting explosion sending him flying through several more structures and he felt like every bone in his body was being shattered from contact with supposedly reinforced building material.

"ARGH….AHHH…GRAAAAGGGHHHHH!"

(SSJNYH)

"CURVED BLADE!" Merl'we instinctively cried out loud as she saw from a safe distance EVA-01 knocking over several buildings as it was blown halfway across Tokyo-03 before coming to a stop amidst ruins.

Her breathing erratic from panic, she begun to maker her way towards the other side of the city, bent on saving her friend.

(SSJNYH)

Gaun felt her mandibles twist painfully as she saw EVA-01 skid to a stop, and Shinji's outline within the plug area become limp and unresponsive. Sachiel landed itself on the opposite side of the city and quickly begun stomping back towards EVA-01 and Shinji.

"Pup…" she muttered.

PUP!

She then started moving, leaping off the top of the four storey building she was standing on and making her way across the abandoned streets, still cloaked.

(SSJNYH)

"SHINJI, NO!"

Misato screamed as she saw Shinji's limp form just lie there in the plug, arms and leg stretched as he struggled to close his eyes. He felt like he was being torn in two when he coughed blood that floated about in the plug and he tried moving his mouth to speak. EVA-01 didn't look much worse, lying there amidst rubble, which perfectly reflected Shinji.

_It…it hurts…_ Shinji whimpered painfully. He tried lifting his head, his right eye closed. _M-Misato…_

"Critical damage to chest cavity, ribcage, left side of head!" Maya rapidly exclaimed. "The right side is going into paralysis!"

Shinji begun muttering deliriously in an alien language, and Misato felt like she was the only person who could hear amidst the seemingly bickering technicians and doctor.

_Ka…m'jec…m'jec Gaun…sova…kais…borra…_

"Heart beat erratic!" Makato cried. "Oh shit…"

"What?" Misato demanded. "WHAT IS IT!"

"Reversing synographs! Pulse is flowing back!" he replied. "He's losing control of the Unit."

"Then stop that back flow! Do it manually!" Ritsuko ordered.

"Can't! Signal's being rejected by the EVA!"

Misato gritted her teeth and turned away from the shouting technicians, now staring at the seemingly unconscious form of Shinji Curved Blade. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to block out everything going on the command centre as she tried to figure out what to do now.

**Do now?**

That's it…show's over! God help us!

"Force eject plug!"

All eyes turned back to her. Kozo was intrigued.

"Captain Katsuragi!" Ritsuko shouted at her, outraged.

"All previous orders have been suspended!" Misato shouted back. "Pilot safety is now our primary concern. FORCE EJECT PLUG!"

Suddenly the viewscreen displaying the inside of the plug became white noise.

"There's no override!" Maya called out. "We've lost all contact with the EVA!"

Misato's eyes widened in horror, and she turned back to the screen.

**NO! SHINJI…**

(SSJNYH)

**What's this?**

No longer feeling pain but warmness all around, Shinji opened his eyes and found himself floating naked, amidst white stars. His scars were gone as was the ornaments in his air, and his wrist-comps had disappeared as well, leaving no trace of them on his hands.

**Am…am I dead?**

He sighed and smiled.

**I must be.**

He chuckled mirthlessly.

**Heh, they were counting on me. All of them. To save them. Oomans were counting on me to save them…**

**Why did I agree in first place? What was I fighting for?**

Images or Rei and Misato suddenly flashed in his mind…

**Oh, right. Just for those two oomans? They must be disappointed that I died…disappointed _at_ me that I died…**

He then saw Gaun…

**Mother?**

**No…**

He looked panicked.

**Oh, no…she's still in the city.**

**Her…Merl'we, Nam.**

**They're still in the city.**

He gritted his teeth as he felt anger well up inside him once again.

**I…I can't be here! I-I have to get back, somehow! I…have to save them…all of them…I…**

**Warm…**

**I feel warm.**

**Why do I feel so warm?**

He turned himself to see a bright light approaching him.

**What's that?**

A womanly figure materialised out of the light and Shinji froze up, stunned. She recognised the figure, something he thought he would never see again, back when he was ooman.

**I-is that?**

**No…it is.**

**M-mom?**

He felt his muscles clench…

**What the…?**

…his fists clench…

**Why do I…?**

….his adrenalin spike and his blood boil…

**Want to…?**

…his eyes slant and narrow in rage…

**…to…?**

…his teeth clench in anger.

**KILL!**

Shinji screamed like a berserker and lunged for the ethereal looking woman, hands stretched as if ready to throttle her.

"IKKKKARRRRRRIIIIIII!"

_**KILL!**_

(SSJNYH)

"EVA-01's REACTIVATED!" Maya cried out loud.

All in Central Dogma saw Sachiel went for EVA-01's throat that it suddenly came back online and struck it in the core with it's fist, causing it to stagger back, winded. The camera inside the entry plug revealed Shinji sitting properly in his seat, gripping the reins tightly enough so that the bones in his wrists begun to creak. He was gnashing his teeth as the blood that he had coughed up earlier was now splattered all over his face, giving him a macabre, feral appearance.

EVA-01 begun to move slowly back onto it's feet, Shinji's will to survive and desire to kill all the power it needed. Ritsuko stared at the screen in disbelief.

"What's happening, Rits?" Misato cried. "A minute ago EVA-01 was out for good!"

'That's not possible,' she thought, panicked. 'Ikari was confident that at this point in the battle the soul within EVA-01 should have taken control and the EVA would go berserk…not the pilot."

"RITSUKO!" Misato shouted at her, seeing she was distracted. "ANSWER!"

"I-I don't know!" Ritsuko exclaimed. "This wasn't supposed to happen!"

Surprised, Misato demanded. "Wha…what do you mean you don't know?"

Shinji bellowed again, and this time…

"VRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

…EVA-01's opened it's titanic mouth, ripping out the joints that kept it's jaws clamped together, and bellowed out loud with him.

"EVA-01 just ripped out it's own frontal shut-off joint!" Makato cried. "What the hell is that kid doing to it?"

"Sync ratio's at 75 percent and rising!" Maya exclaimed. "Shinji's heart beat at twice the normal speed! His psychograph is off the charts! I-it's like he's losing his mind!"

On the view screen they saw EVA-01 charge the Angel, with blood in Shinji's eyes.

"I-I think I know." Ritsuko stated shakily. "Shinji's the one going _berserk_…and it's affecting the EVA."

Misato's eye widened.

**Shinji? Berserk? Unit-01?**

Memories flashed back of Shinji cutting the Kainde Amedha queen in half, staggering out of his hospital room covered in blood, and beating those Section 2 agents down, and those times had a maniacal expression reminiscent of a certain condition derived from the Norse.

**Not good!**

(SSJNYH)

"YAAAAARGHHHHH….!"

Shinji let out cries of exertion as he was imagining himself punching Sachiel, EVA-01 obeying his will and was pummelling it's massive fists into the monster's core. And with that last cry of might he drove it's fist harder into the core, cracking it and sending it falling backwards into yet another building, flattening it.

Just as EVA-01 moved to attack it some more the space between them cracked and pulse with golden lightning, then suddenly a hexagonal barrier appeared, striking and preventing EVA-01 from advancing towards it and sending it flying backwards.

(SSJYNH)

"AN AT-FIELD!" Misato cried.

"So the Angels _do_ have them," Ritsuko added.

(SSJYNH)

Reflecting his own darkened, half-crazed berserker state of mind, the lighting within the plug became red as Shinji was now smiling maniacally, his left eye still closed.

"That won't stop me," he hissed.

For good measure he charged again and imagined himself tearing through the Angel's golden shield. EVA-01's hands stretched themselves forward and it immediately rammed itself into the AT Field. It then begun to force it open.

_Shinji! It's firing again!_

From the eyesockets of one of the skull next to it's 'face' it fired another particle beam. Shinji imagined withstanding the blast and to his surprise EVA-01 projected it's own hexagonal AT Field that not only blocked the beam but also phased out the Angel's own AT Field. EVA-01 then grinded it's sharpened left knee cap into the ore then moved it' right leg behind Sachiel and shoved it forward so that it tripped over on it's back onto the ground.

It then brought it's fist down on Sachiel's core, breaking parts of it. The Angel laid there, seemingly helpless, until suddenly it darted forward, wrapping it's legs around EVA-01 and his arms around it's chest.

"WHAT?" Shinji shouted.

(SSJYNH)

"WHAT THE HELL'S IT DOING NOW?" Misato cried out loud.

"SELF-DESTRUCT!" Ritsuko answered equally loud.

Misato felt herself paralysed with chills as she watched Sachiel tighten itself around EVA-01.

(SSJYNH)

Gritting his teeth so hard he thought he felt one of his molar's crack, Shinji willed EVA-01 to run straight ahead through the nearest building, and another one, and another one, just to try and loosen Sachiel's hold on EVA-01.

_SHINJI! _Misato cried, no doubt watching in horror as he plowed EVA-01 and Sachiel into the structures.

EVA-01 felt Sachiel loosen it's hold on his legs and grabbed it by it's own legs, at first trying to pry them off but instead opted to _tear_ them off right from underneath it. Lifting the legless Angel by the armpits it then slammed it back onto the ground, bringing up tons of debris and dust.

The boy felt like he was sweating blood as he stared out of the plug at his fallen, almost limbless opponent. Shinji was panting once again as the strain begun to tear away at him. He noticed he was seeing red and wiped his face, his blood on his hand.

"Uhhh…" he groaned.

_S-Shinji? _he heard Misato's voice once again.

He smiled, "Yeah?"

_You can finish it off now. This battle can finally end._

Shinji stared down at his helpless foe and nodded, willing EVA-01 to put it's left foot out and ready itself to stomp it's core in. Suddenly Armiel lifted it's remaining arm and aimed it at the ground. EVA-01 crossed his arms to deflect the blast as it propelled itself into the air and away from him. Shinji gritted his teeth, as did EVA-01, and leap backwards to avoid the searing blast.

Shinji/EVA-01 stared up to see Sachiel stop firing it's particle beam and descend back towards the hurtled downward towards Shinji with it's arms stretched wide and exposing it's cracked core, intent on plowing itself into his EVA and knocking it down. Shinji willed EVA-01 to ball it's right hand into a fist.

(SSJYNH)

All human eyes in Central Dogma were now on this savage hunter turned reluctant pilot. Misato unconsciously clasped her hands together as if in silent prayer. On the viewscreen they could see Shinji's determined face. He then opened his mouth and let out a battle cry….

"RAAAAAARGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

…as Sachiel was upon him, stunning everyone on the bridge. As Sachiel went to wrap it's arms around EVA-01 it propelled it's fist forward and struck it in the core.

"Oh…my god…" Maya was heard to whisper.

Sachiel's body was now wrapped around EVA-01's fist as it penetrated through it's shattered core into it's body. Shinji was now panting, trying to catch his breath, not remembering the last time he had put himself through such a berserker trance. To his chagrin he just did…

**When I tried to save Merl'we…**

He frowned and tried to pull his fist out of Sachiel. Suddenly he found himself engulfed in a bright white light as the Angel met it's demise, Shinji shielding his eyes while the personnel in Central Dogma just watched as the light blasted downward from EVA-01's into the GeoFront and shining on HQ in the form of a white cross. With EVA-01 standing triumphantly it's first pointed upwards at the heavens.

(SSJNYH)

Reclining in his seat, Weyland continued to watch the satellite feed of the battle, a glass of rye now in his right hand.

"Impressive."

He took a sip of his rye.

"This is some way to kick off our war against the Great Unknown: Waving our fists at it. You watching this, Schaefer?"

_Yeah?_ a heavy Austrian-accented voice said over the desk intercom. _They're making a kid pilot that thing?_

"They are."

_Fucking cowards!_

(SSJNYH)

Shinji felt his strength leave him, EVA-01 promptly mimicking his actions as it toppled over and crash through another building, luckily no one inside it this time.

"Nain-desintye-de…" he muttered to himself tired.

He willed his EVA to stand up and walk towards Armiel's severed left forearm, the EVA wobbling as it did so. It then fell to it's knees and it finally lost power and become still. Suddenly the entry plug popped out of it's plug, immediately venting the LCL that sprayed all over.

_Shinji, what are you doing?_ Misato said, demandingly.

The plug's hatch opened and Shinji slowly but surely climbed out, slowly climbing down the length of EVA-01's back, his coordination off as he heard light whistling in his ears like if he was suffering from a concussion. Just as he was about to step off the EVA and onto the steel of Tokyo-03's main street he felt nauseous as he clutched his chest and nearly tripped onto the street.

"Uhhh…HWARKKKK!"

His left hand on the ground as support he fell to his knees as he begun to expel the LCL in his lungs, throwing it up. Afterwards, he took a long, deep breath, taking in fresh oxygen graciously provided by the atmosphere of this planet.

He then stood back up, his vision still wobbly as he saw the severed arm some feet away from him. Extending his wrist blade he limped towards it, smiling lightly.

(SSJNYH)

"Hey, what's he doing now?" Shigeru said, watching the live-camera feed of Tokyo-03 main street of Shinji struggling towards Sachiel's forearm in a daze.

(SSJYNH)

Standing before the severed limb, Shinji gave a cry of exertion as he swung his wrist blade and broke off a piece of the arm, which fell onto the steel ground. Shinji bent over and picked up the shard which was as big as his thumb. He smiled. He then enclosed his left fist over it as he felt himself begin to lose unconscious, this time falling down on his bottom as everything became dizzy and he passed out.

(SSJNYH)

Central Dogma became quiet as they watched the camera feed of Shinji now unconscious next to the Angel's still physical severed arm. Misato downcast her eyes, which then widened when she realised she had just shed a tear.

**Tears?**

She wiped it away and choked back a sob.

**Why am I feeling like this? We had no choice; we needed a pilot, someone to make the EVA move. I shouldn't be upset. Why the hell am I upse…?**

She paused and silently gasped as she quickly understood why, but still chose to question herself.

**Is it because I stood by as he agreed to pilot, only after he found himself in the corner Ikari… and I, put him in? Someone who should be recovering from torment suffered at whatever's hands we put him through more torment? After everything he's being through I threw him back into the fray and…and we probably drove him insane? And he trusted me…**

**Oh God…**

She gritted her teeth and bowed her head, quietly sobbing.

**He _trusted_ me.**

"Captain?"

Misato looked up at Kozo, who looked at her sternly. She nodded.

"Begin…begin salvage procedure," Misato ordered out loud. "Deploy rescue teams."

The silence ended abruptly as command scrambled. Ritsuko frowned at her and stepped out of Central Dogma, shaking her head. Misato turned back to the feed to see Shinji still lying there, then looking up at the main screen at the devastation both EVA and Angel, but mostly EVA, inflicted upon Tokyo-03.

**Now we're paying for it.**

She sighed.

**Shinji…**

"HEY!"

Misato quickly looked up as she heard Shigeru exclaim.

"What is it?"

"We just lost camera feed on Shinji's position!"

Misato was alarmed, "What?"

(SSJNYH)

"Ahh…ahh…ah?"

Shinji opened his eyes to see the blue sky and the sun bearing down on him. He closed his eyes turned to his left to avoid the glare, watching as a tall feminine translucent shape begun walking towards him, decloaking to reveal someone he thought he would never see again.

He smiled, "Yau-th."

The dark-skinned, masked Huntress stared down at him. Then slowly she crouched down reached for his shoulder, pulling him over to her in a warm embrace. Shinji wrapped his arms around her back, resting his head on her chest.

"Pup," she replied quietly.

Shinji passed out again.

"Hurry up, Gaun!" Merl'we called out from the nearest alleyway as Gaun scooped up Shinji in her arms. "Before we lose our newest Blooded hunter again."

The both of them promptly disappeared in the alley, and out of sight.

* * *

C'ji – Shit/damn/general expletive

Pauk – Fuck

Lou-dte Kalei – Baby Maker (female insult)

Ell-osde c'jit – Damn you

Nain-desintye-de - "The Pure Win", absolute victory

Yau-th – Parent/Guardian


	12. Chapter 11: The Marking

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

A/N: I think I'm pushing the T rating to it's limits now with mentions of sexuality, nudity, brief alcoholic references and bare fisted violence. Tell me if you think I should up the rating to M.

Also I've been reading the English translation of 'A Cruel Angel's Thesis' and I think it's safe to say it can definitely apply to Shinji Curved Blade.

"_Speech!"_ – Alien speech in front of humans, who have no idea what they are saying.

* * *

Chapter 11 – The Marking

* * *

Misato yawned as she changed the gears of her Asphault as she drove back to her apartment complex, the sun already begun to descend and soon night would fall upon her part of the planet's hemisphere. The areas around her eyes darkened slightly as she was sustained by only six hours of sleep over the past two days; the same amount of time since the battle with Sachiel was won. The moody intergalactic headhunter they drafted to pilot EVA-01 known as Shinji Curved Blade having disappeared minutes after pummelling the Angel into brightly-lit oblivion and making a trophy out of the forearm he tore off and nonchalantly tossed over his EVA's shoulder.

The forearm had quickly been seized by NERV's Science Division and immediately transported to the GeoFront. Ritsuko had overseen the operation, leaving Misato and NERV Intelligence to start their search for the Third Child; Misato determined to find him first knowing that Section 2 probably intended to toss him into the brig for the attempted murder of Commander Ikari.

The Commander had pulled through the operation to mend his torn face and expected to make a full recovery, but not in time for his next meeting with the Committee. The next time he had to before the Committee he would an ugly scar running down the length of the left side of his face, definite proof of the bad blood between Commander and Pilot, father and son, or what Shinji perceived to be bad blood. Enough of it to warrant trying to kill his own father.

As Misato pulled into her apartment complex, she couldn't help but think about what Shinji must be going through. If he had been recaptured by those…things… that had raised him to be a warrior and abused him for many years…

**It was those things…those things from Second Impact. They could have done what they did to Shinji to me. They could have taken me away to turn me into some savage warrior but they didn' not, though? Why the hell not?**

Misato shuddered…

**I don't want to think…I have to stop thinking about it. What they could have done to **_**me**_**…AH…now I'm repeating myself…I can't think about it now.**

She sighed.

**I can't think straight any more.**

**Shinji, where are you? **

She downcast her eyes as she thought about the boy that saved the life of her and practically everyone else on Earth She stepped out of her car and closed the door, sighing again.

"God knows what you've been through up until a week ago. We had no right to drag you into our war," she said to herself. "Sorry, Shinji."

She shook her head.

'I'll make it up to you, somehow,' she thought. 'If I see you again. That's a promise.'

(SSJNYH)

Watching her from that solitary tree in the parking lot outside the complex, Gaun observed Misato intently. A tiny speck of blood partially illuminated a spot on her right wrist-comp before it fell off and onto the asphalt below. Gaun observed Misato as she walked into the entry of her the complex, before she leapt down from the tree and followed.

**Hope she doesn't mind the mess.**

(SSJNYH)

Misato felt her breath get caught in her throat when she noticed that her front door was unlocked. She frowned.

**Section 2. I knew they'd keep going after Shinji, but what they can hope to find…**

Her eyes widened.

**Shinji's mask, weapons and equipment…of course, stupid me!**

She cautiously opened the front door, sliding sideways to reveal a trashed apartment. Cupboards were left open, the tables and chairs were upturned, book and documents, both work and private, scattered all over the floor. Misato gasped at the mess.

"Oh, what the hell?"

She growled and walked in, closing the door behind her.

'At least they could have had the courtesy of locking the door behind them after turning the place upside down,' she thought angrily. 'Nothing but a fucking glorified goon squad!'

"Pen-Pen!" she called out. "Are you in here? Talk to me?"

"Squawk!"

"Oh thank God. Thought they would have shot him then claim he was rabid," she muttered, relieved. "Come out, the bad men in black have left…AH!"

Pen-Pen came barrelling out of the hall, covered in bright red arterial blood. Misato put her hands up in a futile effort to stop the penguin from launching his bloodsoaked self into her arms, but to no avail.

"Shit," she cried, getting on one knee and putting Pen-Pen on the floor. "Wh-whose blood is this?"

"Squawk!"

Pen-Pen stretched a flipper towards the hallway. Misato drew her pistol as she stood back up and cautiously walked towards the hallway. He cringed when she saw a trail of blood lead down the hall and through the door with the heart on it that said 'Shin-Chan's Room' in kanji.

Swallowing, she made her way down the hall, pistol primed. Putting a hand on the door and briefly noting the trail marks leading underneath the door, she slowly opened it, seeing that the blinds were drawn and so the room was dark. She reached into the room, felt across the wall (feeling wetness as she did so) until she found the light switch and turned it on.

Immediately regretting it, she spun around and promptly threw up on the floor, startling Pen-Pen that ran into the kitchen and locked itself in his fridge. Shinji's room was that of pure bloody horror and part of it left it's mark on her left hand when she saw that that wetness she felt was blood.

Spitting out the rest of the flem in her mouth she turned around and faced the horror. Two human males with their feet nailed to the ceiling hanging upside down on both sides of the room's light bulb. It wasn't the sight of dead bodies that had caused her to turn away and retch in terror but that fact that they missing their skin. They flesh was completely stripped from them, revealing bloody muscle where said red liquid dripped down from them, staining the carpet red. They lidless eyes staring at her, forever locked in eternal horror.

Looking past the hanging corpses she saw Shinji's bio-mask on the bed. Sidearm still in her sweating hands, Misato glanced all over herself before stepping back into the room and stepping around the corpses, this time making an effort to keep the bile down, she stepped towards Shinji's bed and reached for the mask.

She never had the chance to study Shinji's weapons and equipment fully during his time here, mostly because Shinji never let anyone near his stuff. Suddenly she felt the urge to study the mask that she now held in her hands, disregarding the macabre that was dangling behind her.

Before she could…

"Misato?"

Her eyes widened and she dropped the mask, hearing Shinji's voice behind her, which sounded like a digitised, sinister whisper.

She spun around.

"Shinji?"

And an eight foot tall heavily muscled, armoured and masked humanoid decloaked as it pushed itself past the dangling bodies. Misato felt her blood run hot as she raised her pistol but felt it get slapped out of her hands before feeling one of the humanoid's hands grab her by the throat and lift her up to eye level. Misato gasped for breath as she grabbed her attacker's left hand as she starred into it's briefly flashing eyes.

She felt the Predator tighten it's hold on her until she felt herself beginning to black out. She stopped resisting, and let her hand fall to her side.

Then blackness took her, the last thing she thought she heard was the creature chortling underneath it's mask.

(SSJNYH)

"Ikari. How nice of you to finally be able to join us."

"In case you have not noticed, I was indisposed."

"Because of your recklessness. I would say _stupidity_ but that would absolve you of the responsibility of what happened during Evangelion Unit Zero One's maiden voyage."

"You brought your own miserable state on yourself."

Appearing slightly dishevelled Gendo sat on a steel chair and suppressed a groan as the left side of his bandaged face throbbed painfully, the painkillers he had taken being able to suppress _half_ the amount of pain he felt. Against doctor's orders he had arranged a meeting with the Committee to resolve the matter of one-third of Tokyo-03 being destroyed, that EVA-01 had been critically damaged during the battle against the Angel, that it was the pilot's instability and rage that saved the day and not the soul within EVA-01 and the disappearance of said pilot.

**Yui…**

However, the Committee did not appear as _the_ Committee. They appeared as something else…

SEELE

"Now, then," Keel, SEELE 01, said, his monolith floating directly before Gendo. "One third of the city destroyed due to non-use of it's Battle Mode configuration, eighty-six confirmed civilian casualties due to incomplete evacuation, damages costing billions and…"

"The MAGI's prediction of the Angel's arrival was flawed," Gendo interrupted. "It arrived approximately eight hours ahead of sc…"

"Are you trying to make excuses, Ikari?" Keel interrupted right back, heatedly. "Even if MAGI was off by _eighteen_ hours, you still had ample time to prepare for the day of Angel's descent. You should have been battle-ready _before_ said day, yet you chose to prepare at the last minute. And for what…?"

Gendo frowned as stared up at the monolith

"…to try and put the Third Child in a truly inescapable, desperate situation? No, you placed your hopes in an indoctrinated non-human who could have fought it's way out of the GeoFront, but instead assumed total control of the Evangelion and suppressing the soul within it. It is no doubt once again back in it's masters' hands."

"Regardless, the Angel was still destroyed," Gendo stated.

"At the cost of one third of Tokyo-03 and a major setback to NERV's public image! For each head of those eighty-six casualties, each one is a dent to said image!" SEELE 04 bellowed. "It can be considered a miracle that the demon didn't destroy the entire city, and possibly NERV HQ, in _it's_ rage."

Gendo flinched slightly from the pain at the mention of the Third Child, his son, referred to as a _demon._ He sure lived up to it when he tore his face open.

"Yes, _it_ _is_ a demon," SEELE 11 growled. "The very definition of non-human. It is one of _them_ now. If _they_ find out about our grand endeavour from _it_, the Human Instrumentality Project, they will intervene."

"The Third does not know of the grand plan, you fool," Gendo spat out, slowly losing his composure. "I would not be stupid as to reveal that to him."

"You mean _it_, Ikari! And to reveal the plan to _it_ will mean humanity's doom," SEELE 07 said. "Not to oblivion, but to another thousand years of slavery at the hands of interstellar powers."

Gendo was intrigued, "So all this is to make sure we will no longer dominated by aliens after all?"

"Keep your speculations to yourself, Ikari," Keel groused. "We _will_ reach Heaven and we _will_ destroy anything, human and otherwise, that tries to stop us. If you fail again, if the non-human is without leash once again, assuming once you recover _it_, you will be useless to us. And when it comes useless things…"

Keel paused, making sure the words sank in.

"…they always have a way of disappearing."

Gendo was silent for a few seconds.

"Understood," he finally replied.

"Good."

The Monoliths vanished, leaving Gendo sitting in the middle of the darkened room, the lights shining down on him from above. With a groan Gendo stood up from his chair and made his way towards the exit, almost shuffling as the pain flared up. He thought that discharging himself from NERV's hospital had been a mistake. The last time he had felt physical pain, and that means any sort of pain, was during those years he been scrounging around within the figurative.

And that was all before…

**Yui…**

His cellphone rang in his left pocket and he slowly reached for it with his right hand, his left hand on his cheek as the pain flared up.

He pressed talk…

"Yes?" he croaked.

_Commander, we have a very serious problem. Agents Fuji and Saji haven't reported back at the requested time._

The pain subsided for a brief second…

"Repeat that?"

(SSJNYH)

Lying under a thin leathery blanket on the elevated moss-covered steel platform Shinji stirred a bit before he opened his eyes, immediately finding solace in the yellowish-black illuminated décor of the interior of a hunter spacecraft, meaning that he was finally in familiar surroundings. He grunted as he sat up, immediately looking around and remembering that he was in the infirmary.

He couldn't keep a smile from his face, that happy he was back amongst his friends. It faded when he heard light whimpering and he turned his head to the right to see his oldest friend napping on a stood, her back against the wall for support.

Shinji smiled again. Where else would he find his retainer?

As if sensing that her master was awake, fourteen year old Mana Dagger Strike roused herself from her nap, smacking her lips as she cleared the cobwebs from her brain. Once they settled, her eyes widened and she gasped.

"Shinji-dono!" she exclaimed.

Smiling with joy she bounded forward, leaned over and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug, holding him tightly, tears running down her cheeks as she joyfully exclaimed in Japanese and Yautja.

"Ell-osde nan-ku! Ell-osde nan-ku! Y-you're finally awake! Oh thank the Kami."

Shinji blushed at the sight of her, seeing that she was dressed in her 'casual' wear: A leather bikini outlined with steel, a loincloth that hid that thong she wore, a belt around her waist that held a dagger in it's sheath and spaulder armour that covered her upper arms and shoulders. She had developed with age in the usual areas and grown a bit taller as well; about a few inches shorter than Shinji and the training that she had received from Gaun since the age of twelve, not to mention her diet, had given her a bit of muscle, particularly in her arms, legs and abs. Not too much that it would spoil her femineity, but enough to let it be known that she was a fighter.

With her braided red hair she had the appearance of an Amazonian warrior of Greek legend.

"H-how long have I been out?" Shinji asked as he continued to hug Mana.

"Three days," Mana replied as she pulled back, know kneeling before the platform as she noticed the healer Yautja approach them from the other side of the med bay. "The battle against the Paya Amedha had left you drained. We almost lost you…"

Shinji asked, sheepishly, "I was in a real bad state?"

"You were," the female healing Yautja said as she walked over to his left side. "You were close to death. If not in body, then in mind. You were driven close to L'ulig-bpe when piloting that Titan."

"Yeah, M'kanosa," Shinji nodded, acknowledging the healer by her name. "I lost control. I just wanted to end that fight as quickly as possible."

"Some of us saw that," M'kanosa smiled as she opened the palm of her left hand to reveal the shard of the Angel he had chipped off, where she placed it on a the cart at the foot of the counter. "And the High Elder has many things to say to you in regards to your trophy of the Paya Amedha…"

She then frowned.

"…and why you're missing your ki'its-pa."

Shinji sweatdropped, "Ah…eh…"

"But for now, rest," M'kanosa placed her hand on his forehead and laid him back down.

Shinji relaxed then turned to Mana, "Where's Mother?"

Mana shook her head, "I don't know. Gaun-sensei said she left here a few minutes while you were sleeping. She said she had 'business' to take care of."

Shinji looked at Mana wryly.

**Business?**

(SSJNYH)

"Business, huh?" Merl'we crossed her arms and frowned at Nam, who was leaning against the wall in the hallway leading towards the main conference chamber.

"Yeah," Nam responded, shrugging. "She wants to see if one of Curved Blade's prospective mates is worthy of carrying his pups."

Merl'we rolled her eyes, flared her mandibles slightly and frowned even harder, knowing whom it was, "It's _her_, isn't it?"

Nam smirked, "Are you jealous?"

"Why?" Merl'we groused. "Because you keep saying she's the ooman version of me?"

She didn't like Nam or anyone else comparing her to the ooman that Curved Blade had been living with. Merl'we always thought that she was one of kind with her personality, habits and physically attractive (by Yautja standards) figure.

Nam gave a rather cheeky leer, "Cause' Curved Blade can only have oomans for mates, and not…dare I say… Yautja."

Merl'we flared her mandibles with shock and a greenish tinge appeared on her face as blood pooled up. That comment had completely knocked her off her feet and she felt embarrassed that anyone could suggest such a…unnatural…thing.

"Y-you d-dare…?" Merl'we stuttered, shell-shocked. "…suggest I'd want him to…to…"

"I'm just teasing! Heh…probably a good thing that's no allowed," Nam laughed. "You'd probably snap him in half like a…"

Merl'we regained her composure and glared, "Please shut up."

Nam sneered, "Fine. Just saying…"

"You're a pervert, Nam."

"That's what they tell me. They also tell me of the kind of looks ooman females his age has been giving him when he's outdoors. Once he's Blooded he'll be beating them _off_ with a stick…"

He then leaned off the wall.

"…and hopefully as often as he can."

Merl'we looked at him oddly, "You have a very…odd determination to make sure he goes through his first mating rites."

Nam smirked and pointed at himself, "We're both males and were both mei'hswei, we look out for each other. Besides why are you complaining about the mating rites?"

The make Yautja stepped up to females, clicking his mandibles and his eyes scanning her body rather lustfully, edging a hand towards her still frowning face.

"You remember how good it felt the first time, right?" Nam caressed her face, staring at her now hopeful. He continued suavely, "My jehdin…"

He didn't have the chance to finish when he suddenly heard a rather angry snarl and felt Merl'we hand grip him by the testicles through his loincloth. His eyes almost popped out of his skull from the blaring pain and he was forced down to his knees. Nam then looked up at Merl'we, where the angry female looked ready to kill him right there and then.

"You mention _that_ one night again and you can kiss _these_ goodbye!" Merl'we growled, giving _them_ a _slight_ twist for added emphasis. "You recall me saying that was the worst decision of my life, right?"

"Ah…ahhh…AH!"

"Right? Answer me!"

"Y-yes!"

She let go of him and left him kneeling there clutching his aching gonards, a remainder as to why the females of the species were often the most fiercest warriors. Nam chuckled painfully as he heard her footsteps as she distanced herself from him.

Heh…she's still got it.

(SSJNYH)

"Uhhhhhh…"

Misato groaned as she stirred, feeling like she was suffering from the worst hangover in her life, and somehow was lying on something hard. As she started to believe she had drank herself to unconsciousness again she realised that she wasn't wearing any clothes.

"Wha…?"

She opened her eyes slowly, affected by the glare from the orangey-yellow illumination from the walls of the ten by ten room she found herself lying against the far. She closed her eyes tightly again as she slowly begun to stand up, leaning her back against the wall.

"Uh."

She took a deep breath and rubbed the side of her head and opened her eyes slowly once again. This time the glare didn't hurt her, but she instantly became terrified of her surroundings. The walls depicted humans and the serpents, in great illuminating detail, being slaughtered with swords and spears by the tall creatures in masks. She gritted her teeth as she looked confused and in anguish.

**Wh…where am I?**

**The last thing I remember…**

She remembered being throttled by the alien that had snuck up behind her, the last thing she heard was it laughing behind it's mask. She looked down at herself and her nakedness, imagining why they would strip her and leave her in a bare room and dreaded what they would do to her next.

**It's them! The aliens from 2nd Impact…the guys that took Shinji.**

She saw the door at the opposite end of the room and dreaded when it would open and she would have to face them again. She felt her heart stop beating for a second when she heard footsteps and loud alien chatter just outside the door. She frowned…

**Fuck it! Can't stay here and wait for them to do stuff to me…**

…and moved quickly over to the door, her left arm over her breasts for support. She heard the footsteps become louder as she positioned herself next to the door on the left side. Glaring in determination, she balled her fists, hoping that whomever went through that door and notice she was missing would step into the room to investigate and she be able to quickly subdue it then out of the room. From there…she didn't know what she would do from there…she would have to play it by ear.

The door opened and a loud angry exclamation was heard. She heard a loud footstep and she stepped out, swinging a lift hook that was immediately caught with a right hand. The next thing she realised she was face to chest with a large female alien humanoid. She looked up at the masked female, who suddenly grabbed her by the throat and forced her back down onto the steel ground.

"OW!"

Misato pushed some of her hair out of her eyes and stared up silently, eyes widened, at the tall, shapely and brown-skinned black speckled female standing above her and staring back, as if sizing her up. Misato felt a chill run down the back of her spine as the fear begun to grip at her heart.

**Please tell me she doesn't fancy me.**

The female reached forward and grabbed Misato by the hair…

"HEY…OW…OW…AHHH!"

…pulling it upward and forcing her to stand back up. Misato then suddenly felt her grasp her by the neck, but not in a choking manner but rather to keep her still. She felt her face heat up when she noticed the alien continued sizing her up, the tri-targeting laser scanning up and down her body, starting from her feet to her womanhood, then to her chest and to her forehead. All the while Misato kept her eyes focused on the alien's eyes that were behind her mask, trying to not shiver with fright.

Misato felt her self begin to sweat with anxiety when she saw the alien stare down at the scar running vertically down her chest. She then shivered when the alien begun to trace it upward with her right pointer finger….

Misato gritted her teeth as she begun to feel anger towards the alien female she was exposed to.

**Oh no FUCKING way!**

(SSJNYH)

**_This_ is the female that Curved Blade was made to stay with? I recognise the scar on her chest anywhere.**

Gaun grunted as she continued her ministrations, fully aware she was making Misato uncomfortable.

**She was only survivor of the Cataclysm…that the oomans inflicted upon themselves.**

**Physically she would be able to service Curved Blade once he receives the mark, but I will not permit it if she is still that same silent, traumatised pup we saw get pulled up from the ocean by the Slavers if she can't hold her own against the likes of me.**

**She must bear his pups, and be able to protect them, and her prospective mate.**

"Hands off!"

Gaun was snapped from her train of thought when Misato suddenly slapped her hand away from the scar and gripped at her left hand that held her by the neck, forcing her to let go of the ooman. Misato briefly rubbed her neck before stepping back, bringing her fists up.

"Where's Shinji?" Misato growled.

**Shinji? Curved Blade.**

"What have you monsters done to him?" Misato then shouted. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?"

Gaun clicked her mandibles behind her mask.

**Lets see how brave this ooman woman really is.**

The Huntress raised both her hands and unclipped the sides of her mask, before pulling it off and revealing her face to Misato. Her eyes widened and she felt herself loosen her fists as Gaun's truly inhuman, alien face burn itself into her mind.

"You…" Misato tried to make her mouth work, Gaun's appearance confirming the fact that the monsters from 2nd Impact, were indeed _monsters_. "You are…"

Gaun narrow her eyes.

"…you…"

Misato then raised her voice at Gaun.

"YOU MONSTER!"

Gaun then bellowed at Misato and extended her wrist blade. She then lunged at Misato and jabbed forward. Misato dodged her strike then punched her in her chest as hard as she could, winding her. Misato then threw her whole weight against Gaun, forcing her against the left wall of the room then delivering a upward kick that struck the Huntress in the throat, knocking her further against the wall.

"WHERE'S SHINJI?" Misato screamed at the Yautja. "TELL ME WHERE HE IS, YOU BITCH!"

Gaun cocked her head to the side in curiously. She then inwardly smirked.

**Such force! Just like when she fought the Kainde Ameha alongside Curved Blade, as a hunting pair.**

**The way she says his name…she's devoted to him and judging from her body language she doesn't even realise it. Never met a ooman female like that…**

She then remembered her _other_ apprentice, Dagger Strike.

**At least not from _this_ planet…**

(SSJNYH)

Misato never felt so pumped up with adrenaline in her entire lifetime than she did now. She wanted to lunge at the bigger, strong female but common sense forced her to stand her ground, instead to just keep her fists clenched and her face angry.

"Shinji…"

Misato was surprised when she heard Gaun say _his_ name, and in Japanese as well.

"Y-you have him, right?" Misato stated, lowering her fists and instead covering her intimate parts with her hands as she suddenly felt delicate. "Tell me you have him here?"

Gaun nodded, "Here."

She then frowned and grunted.

"_And if you want to get off this ship alive he will have to claim you before the High Elder."_

Misato's eyes widened. She didn't understand what Gaun said but the seriousness and urgency of how she said indicated that it was important, like if it were advice. Gaun then turned around and walked towards the door. As she stepped through…

"HEY WAIT! YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE ME…"

…Misato took off after her, not caring about covering and almost ran into the door as it closed. She then screamed and banged her fists on it.

"WHERE'S SHINJI? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIM! YOU BITCH…YOU BITCH…YOU…"

She stopped, panting to catch her breath. She stepped away from the door and looked down at herself.

**Why'd they have to strip me anyway, perverted aliens? They fancy seeing anyone naked so long they have tits and a…?**

The door briefly opened and a flat rectangular container was thrown in, startling Misato. She briefly saw that it was Gaun before the door closed. She looked down and her eyes widened when the top automatically opened to reveal her uniform.

She reached in and pulled out her uniform, noting that one of her ranking pips, that indicated that she was a captain, was missing. She raised her eyebrows…

**That's the pip with the tracking bug in it.**

She tossed the coat aside and saw that a piece of her belt buckle was also missing. She glared up from her clothes at the door.

**Clever aliens.**

The only thing she could do now was get dressed and wait. All the while she hoped that Shinji was nearby, and hoped even more that he would be able to help her.

She downcast her eyes as she sat against the wall, now fully dressed. She sighed…

**Shinji.**

(SSJNYH)

"Ready to leave so soon, Curved Blade?"

"I've got stuff to do. I'm not lying in the infirmary another second."

Shinji pulled his loincloth up, strapped on a pair of spaulders over his shoulder and his familiar wrist-comps and he stepped away from the bench. Mana was looking away, eyes closed tightly and a blush on her face. M'kanosa watched the scene and sighed, shaking her head and muttering something about them being practically bonded and there being no need for modesty between them.

"You can look now, Mana."

Mana exhaled and turned around. She blinked in amazement to see her master in armour and loincloth, just add the mask and he would look like a true Yautja. The door into the infirmary opened and in stepped Gaun, with her mask tired to her belt.

"Yau-th," Shinji addressed her. "Gkaun-yte"

"Curved Blade," Gaun nodded his way, eyes narrowed.

Shinji noticed the way her eyes practically boring a hole through him.

Gaun cracked her knuckles, "First thing…"

WHACK!

Shinji was sent falling onto the ground, scoring a welt on the left side of his face.

"Gaun!" M'kanosa shouted, outraged.

Horrified to see Gaun backhand Shinji, Mana cried out, "G-Gaun-sensei!"

"Ow," Shinji muttered, rubbing his cheek.

"_That_ was for striking a female!" Gaun exclaimed.

Shinji lowered his eyes, remembering that he had been monitored by his wrist-comp, "Ah, right."

He then felt Gaun grip him by the shoulder and expected his beating to continue. Instead, however, he felt her head resting on her chest just above her breasts and her arms around him in a warm embrace.

"This, however, is because you are alive," Gaun clicked her mandibles together affectionately. "Pup."

Shinji blushed bright red, especially when they were drawing the attention of the Yautja in the infirmary, especially M'kanosa, who stared at them with her hands on her hips with an annoyed expression. The ooman Predator smiled awkwardly, noticing that Mana was looking away, red in the face as well.

"The High Elder is expecting you," Gaun said as she let go of Shinji. "Best we not keep him waiting."

"Sei-i," Shinji acknowledged as he walked over to a nearby table and recovered both his mask and his nodachi, which he sheathed on his back.

"I must speak with my _other_ apprentice, however," Gaun continued. "I will see you up ahead."

Shinji nodded, then turned to Mana, "I'll see you later, Mana."

"Goodbye, Shinji-dono," Mana smiled.

It faded when Shinji left the infirmary. She then turned to Gaun.

"N'yaka-de."

The elder hunter crossed her arms, "There's something you must do for Curved Blade…"

(SSJNYH)

Surrounded by the most decorated, oldest hunters the High Elder had his back turned to the large doors leading into the ship's main conference chamber as he watched a screen projected by a holograph machine situated on the floor. The streaming video was only in orange, but they could clearly see that it was Evangelion Unit 01 and that it was going berserk.

"That is not the soul within the machine," the Elder stated. "It is Curved Blade himself, exerting dominance over it."

"The oomans on Earth had spawned these God Machines?" one of the other hunters stated loudly. "Unthinkable."

"Yes," the Elder said. "And our own wayward ooman has been imprinted onto, or rather, into the machine."

The Elder paused.

"Now, there is still the matter of his seed."

"HA!"

The door opened and in stepped Nam (albeit with a limp), causing the Elder and his retinue to turn and face him. One of the hunters mandibles spread in rage and stepped forward.

"You were not called, Nam!" the aggressive older hunter exclaimed.

"No," Nam crossed his arms, still smirking (albeit painfully). "But I think I'll act in Curved Blade's best interests for at least once in his life."

"Oh?" the High Elder stated, curious about why he appeared to be in agony.

"The alliance with Zaibutsu must not go ahead," Nam now appeared serious. "Curved Blade has found someone worthy on this planet to continue his line in the near future. Therefore whoring him out to the Zaibutsu is not permitted by our laws."

"What?" another Hunter shouted. "You dare…"

"I've done nothing," Nam closed his eyes and appeared smug. "Curved Blade found himself a woman, and therefore his pups will remain with the clan. His line, now to be considered worthy, cannot be divided between us...and _them_."

The Elder nodded, "True."

The Hunter that first spoke out againt Nam, a Yautja that was at least a couple inches shorter than Nam, had pale-green skin with yellow specks grounded his teeth and flared his mandibles, "You would permit more oomans to be born under our clan mark? Worthless, fragile oomans in exchange for the technology that could better the hunt for our future generations?"

That Hunter addressed the Elder, still angered.

"Elder, you cannot possibly allow this?"

The Hunter then found himself beneath the Elder's intense glare, and immediately found himself lowering his eyes and head in submission.

"You will remember to whom you are addressing, Razor Sword!" the Elder exclaimed. "I would have gladly sold Curved Blade to the Zaibatsu if he had not have slain the Kainde Amedha and defeated the Paya Amedha in the course of a few days."

He then addressed Nam.

"But since he has, and now doubt had slain his own tie to this world, he must be Blooded and initiated into her clan proper."

Nam gave a Yautja smile, "Wisely done, Elder."

"Summon all Predator. We will bring Curved Blade into our fold."

The Yautja all turned to leave. Just as Nam did so he felt Razor Sword grip him by the shoulder and leer close to him.

"You and that would-be lou-dte kalei Gaun planned this disgrace, bringing that ooman pup's bitch on board!" Razor Sword hissed. "Permitting females to become full hunters was the Elder's first mistake…"

He then dug his fingernails into Nam's shoulder.

"…giving that ooman the mark will be his last!"

Nam smirked, "Do I sense disloyalty towards our High Elder?"

"No. Just that I will make sure that ooman suffer more than the acid burn that comes with receiving the Mark!" Razor Sword continued. "He's an adult now, and I'll make sure he won't claim his purple haired Pyode Amedha!"

Razor Sword felt a small sense of satisfaction when Nam's stopped smirking, clicking his mandibles and pushing him back.

"Your dhi'ki-de," Nam stated, plainly.

(SSJNYH)

Wearing only her dress and undershirt, Misato was asleep on her cell floor; exhausted from her continuing ordeal and having decided to get at least a couple of hours of rest before whatever horrors awaited her again.

But her rest was anything but pleasant.

_15 Years Ago_

"_So how about this one? By ooman standards she's a good-looking one?"_

Misato couldn't understand what the three masked humanoids were saying.

"_Plus her possible exposure to the Paya's essence after they drove the Lance into it? Give her time to mature fully and she will be priceless!"_

"_What about her injury? Looks serious."_

"_Eh? Oh…let me check…"_

The teenager closed her eyes tightly when one of the humanoids reached towards her, feeling her chest around her wounds. She suddenly cried out in pain when the alien inflamed her wound.

"_Damn. I've seen these kinds of wounds. It will leave behind a scar!"_

"_A scar? Can't we heal that?"_

"_No. We can't be sure if our tech will affect her?"_

"_Ah. So what do we do with her now? Keep her for ourselves?"_

"_I don't touch ooman females. Put her back where she came from!"_

The pain was too much and she blacked out.

**Father.**

_Now_

Misato woke up abruptly upon thinking about her father, the man whom she thought never gave a damn about her, sacrificed himself to save her. The first thing she saw as she woke were two human-looking legs standing before her. Her eyes trailed upward to see a lightly armoured fourteen-year old red-haired Japanese girl looking down at her and holding a tray.

The adult woman was shocked upon seeing another human, and a girl, amongst these creatures, dressed in their clothes and armour with their wrist technology and carrying one of their blades in sheathed on her belt. The girl looked down at her curiously, before kneeling and putting the tray before her, revealing a plate full of alien-looking vegetables.

Much to Misato's surprise, Mana bowed to her in traditional manner.

"Sumimasen Misato-san."

Misato continued to sit there in both surprise and shock. As Mana turned to walk away…

"WAIT!"

Misato stood up reached out towards her, stepping over the tray and grabbing her by the arm. Mana froze and turned to her.

"Hai?"

"What are _you_ doing here?"

Mana looked at her plainly, "I am part of the clan. I'm retained to Shinji-dono and apprenticed to Gaun-sensei."

**Shinji-dono? Lord Shinji? What the hell?**

Misato didn't miss the fact she was speaking in Classical Japanese, but luckily for her it wasn't hard to understand.

"You live here?"

"No," Mana shook her head. "This is one of the clan's hunting spacecraft. The homeworld is outside this system."

Gobsmacked, Misato stuttered, "D-did you say 'spacecraft'?"

"Hai," Mana answered.

"Where is Shinji?" Misato then asked. "Do you know where he is?"

"He's being Blooded," Mana replied. "He will receive the warrior's mark and will formally become part of the clan."

**Blooded? The Mark? Doesn't sound healthy…**

"Take me to him," Misato reached forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. "I can't spend another second in this cell doing nothing."

Mana's eyes widened, "What?"

Misato frowned, tired of repeating herself, "I said…"

"I know what you said," Mana was no longer calm as she replied. "You don't what you're ask…"

She froze when suddenly Misato, in a flash, reached forward and unsheathed her dagger and held it to her neck, surprising both the warrior girl and herself. Misato was now glaring at Mana, no longer caring to be patient or even polite with the undoubtedly human slave girl.

"I insist! And don't even think of popping those blades out."

She indicated with her eyes Mana's wrist devices.

"You understand?"

(SSJNYH)

Wearing his biomask, spaulders and loincloth Shinji stepped towards the doors of the largest chamber situated in the bowels of the spacecraft. He looked up and down the length of the ornately decorated door which bared the Mark of the clan and sighed deeply, feeling goosebumps prick upon him as he felt nervous for the first time in a long while.

**This is what seven or eight years has led up to.**

He then sucked it up just as the door opened sideways, revealing the chamber where the High Elder and almost every other Hunter was waiting for him. He walked past the line of Yautja towards the centre of the chamber, the High Elder stood waiting in elaborate ceremonial armour, including bio-mask. Every other Yautja that surrounded them in a circle had their armour on and their weapons in hand, but their masks were off.

Shinji then sensed a familiar presence standing behind him with the other Yautja. He smiled, Gaun had been true to her word when she said that she would right behind him. She was the only person he called 'mother' and considered her to be as such, for she took him after he finally lost _everything_ years ago; she saved him from a life of monotony and gave him purpose, something to live for, something to achieve. She changed him, physically, mentally and even spiritually.

He glanced over at his left side seeing Merl'we, one of his closest (and not to mention the most eccentric) friends, standing there, standing out amongst the other dominantly male hunters. Though at times she made him uncomfortable with her outward personality that rivalled Misato's he considered her an older sister that always been there for him, even if he wasn't able to be there for…

He shook his head. No way was he going to star thinking about _that_ now.

Standing some feet away at his right was Nam, the only male influence in his life; and was intrigued as to why he was standing there uncomfortably. Though he was embittered by his attempts to make him take Misato as his mate and his blatant chauvinism towards the subject of females made him did nothing to erode his feelings for him as a friend, and possibly as a brother.

All three of the Blooded Yautja he had grown up with were here for him as he stepped up before the Elder and stood there, arms to his sides and bowing his head and lowering his eyes, a sign of submission.

"Curved Blade," the High Elder towered above him. "You have returned to us following the destruction of the Kainde Amedha craft."

Shinji nodded, "Yes."

He knelt on one knee, opening his left palm to reveal a shard of the 3rd Angel had had chipped off. The surrounding Yautja were intrigued to see the display.

"This if from my fight against the Paya Amedha," Shinji stated loudly. "This is my proof I am worthy of being called Predator."

"Curious," the Elder cocked his head to the side. "You swore that you sever all ties to this planet, then you will receive the mark of our clan."

Shinji smiled, "I have. And _he_ knows that."

"So he is still alive!"

"Ikari is tarei hsan!" Shinji suddenly exclaimed, looking up into the eyes of the Elder. "He is a conniving, manipulative tetch'na I don't think, no, I _know_ doesn't deserve to be killed by a hunter's blade!"

For good measure he extended his wrist blade and sliced open his right hand, not showing any sign of pain as he let the blood drop onto the ground, the High Elder and the highest-ranking hunters watched on, impressed. Gaun stared on, not even flinching at the sight of his sudden crazed-like self-mutilation.

"Bad enough I've got the same blood as that **hacnikt**!" Shinji was angry now as he balled his right hand into a fist, the blood seeping through his fingers. "I'm not going to receive the mark because of him."

The High Elder smirked, "Just _how_ does he know that?"

"I…I opened his face up before his own followers," Shinji replied, a lot calmer now. "I lost my ki'its-pa because of it, I thought I wouldn't live past killing him. But the guards, Akagi and Misato-chan…"

'Misato-_chan_?' the Elder thought, remembering how humans of the Japanese disposition referred to one another with affection.

"…they just looked at me," Shinji continued, blushing lightly over adding that suffix to Misato's name. "They just stared at me, all shocked like."

The Elder has been impressed when they had been monitoring Shinji through his wrist comp. He had screamed at the self-righteous ooman, then followed the mechanical sound of his combistick being thrown up at him. Gasps followed, then instead of gunfire that would have put Shinji down there was silence. Curved Blade had dominated NERV.

"That was when you agreed to commander the human's god machine," the Elder said. "To commandeer it, assert dominance over it and fight the Paya Amedha."

Shinji nodded, bowing his head and once again displaying the shard of the Angel. "Does that prove my worth, High Elder? Does that prove that I am Predator!"

The High Elder stared down at the kneeling ooman in contemplative silence. He then looked up and over at Gaun, who was staring back intensely, as if her eyes were silent speaking on her pupil's behalf. The Elder's eyes responded just as intensely.

"Shinji…" the High Elder grounded out his ooman name. "Curved Blade. When you were first brought before me those years ago you were a curiosity. I had counted on the homeworld killing you in less then a year, whether it would have been the food we ate, the air we breathe or if your handler or any other hunter would have killed you. However I had been proved wrong. You survived that first year, then the next one, the year after that one; then finally I became convinced that it wouldn't have been the planet or even the training that all Yautja younglings undergo wouldn't kill you."

Shinji's eyes widened as the High Elder continued.

"I believed as you approached your species' adolescence you would become fit as prey yourself, as preparation for the clan's Unbloods before they go off on their own first hunt. Once again I was proven wrong. They underestimated you, and you hacked them down."

Shinji remembered. That was only last year when those Unbloods, around his own age but by Yautja standards were close to adulthood and henceforth almost fully grown. They had realised Shinji had been trained too well, and that the first time he killed a sentient being and the last time he remembered crying so hard afterwards, mourning the permanent loss of his innocence. He had covered in cuts, slashes, bruises and blood, both _his_ red blood and the Unblood's glowing green blood.

"_I_ underestimated you," the Elder stated, looking down at Shinji as the boy looked up at him with wavering eyes behind his mask. "With all the prey you have hunted this year alone: Kainde Amedha and Pyode Amedha, I can not longer bring myself to ignore the fact that you are Yautja in everything but physical form. Therefore…"

He too the shard of the Angel from Shinji and drew his blade, which resembled a human longsword with an elaborate handle. He applied pressure to the handle and acid oozed from the tip of the blade and he applied it to the angelic shard. Shinji swallowed.

This was it.

"…therefore, who I am to deny you a place in our clan. Stand…"

Shinji did so.

"What is your name?"

"Curved Blade," Shinji responded.

"Your bearer?"

"Was murdered by my sire. I never knew her name."

"Your sire?"

"A hac'nikt tarei hsan not worthy to die by my hand. I never knew his name, either."

"Your true bearer?"

"Warrior Gaun."

Gaun swore she felt pride when she heard him say that.

"She truly is," the High Elder said. "Now…you will receive the Mark of the Hunter."

Slowly the High Elder raised the shard and pressed it against the upper left side of Shinji's biomask, the hissing sound of acid against steel being heard as he formed the clan symbol on his mask. When he was done, Shinji removed the biomask, briefly seeing the symbol on it, before attaching it to the belt around his hip and raising his head, indicating the mark be placed on the side of his neck just above his collar one.

The Elder complied, bringing the shard towards the spot. Shinji closed his eyes, grit his teeth and breathed strongly the dull the pain of Kainde Amedha acid as the Elder burned the mark into his skin. Shinji thought he was going to pass out, and surprised himself when he remained fully conscious and the pain was quick to fade.

When the Elder finished, it stretched the shard forward and dropped it into Shinji's hand, the acid on it faded away and leaving no burning trace of it on Shinji's trophy.

"By your blood, and the blood of the countless prey you have hunted up to this day, you bind yourself to this Clan. From this moment onward every action, every hunt, and every battle you partake shall be done in accordance with our code of Honour. Should you break your code, you will be stripped of your name, your achievements, you honour. Do you understand?"

Shinji nodded and he put his mask back on, "Yes, Elder."

The Elder stepped forward, close enough so that their mask were millimetres apart, "You can no longer be considered a guest of your clan, nor pet, nor ooman. In the eyes of the clan you are Yautja. You are Predator."

Shinji smiled widely beneath his mask and bowed his head, "I…am honoured."

The High Elder raised his hand high above Shinji, "I give you, the Warrior Hunter Curved Blade!"

The entire chamber erupted in a unified war cry as the Hunters present drew their weapons, the combined sound of steel wristblades, swords and spears causing Shinji to beam uncontrollably beneath mask. Shinji turned towards them as they begun cheering for him, and it was there that if he taken his mask off they would have seen his beaming face and tear clouded eyes.

Tears not from the pain of the mark that burned on his neck but with happiness. Happiness that he finally belonged somewhere, final proof that being removed from Earth when he was younger hadn't been a mistake. That _he_ wasn't a mistake.

One of the high-ranking hunters stepped up to him and presented to him a bottle of alcoholic cn'tlip. Shinji took off his mask, smiling lightly now, accepted the bottle and drank it's contents, the pain in his neck immediately dulling. The chamber erupted in another cheer as he downed the drink and threw the bottle onto the ground, shattering it to pieces.

None cheered louder than Nam as Shinji partook in that brief final and practically informal part of the ceremony, "That's our Curved Blade!"

A red tinge appeared on Shinji's face beneath his eyes as the alcohol immediately took affect and he felt his world become slightly dizzy. He smiled and hiccupped a bit, his eyes scanning the room and the numerous Yautja cheering for him. It faded when he saw that Mana was missing and gave another hiccup, only that it sounded sad.

**Mana wouldn't miss this for the entire universe. Where'd she go?**

The door leading into the chamber suddenly and there she stepped in, her own dagger held against her neck by…

Shinji's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He rubbed his eyes and realised that he wasn't that drunk, that he wasn't imagining that it was…

"Mana? M-Misato?"

(SSJNYH)

"Shinji?"

Stupefied, Misato saw his shocked form standing there before the High Elder; scarred, half-sloshed and with a welt on his left cheek.

**Shinji? What the fuck?**

She then realised she had just stepped into a chamber full of hunters, including the female that had confronted her earlier was standing some feet away. And she remembered holding a dagger to the throat of their human slave girl.

**Oh shit!**

She looked down at Mana, who throughout leading her through the empty passageways of the ship had remained perfectly calm, as if she knew that this would happen and her masters were come to her rescue when she led the captive human woman to them.

**No…this wasn't a trap, I asked her and she just led me to…to…**

**OH SHIT!**

The High Elder pointed over at her and bellowed out loud. Immediately two Yautja advanced towards her and she held the dagger close enough to Mana neck so that it lightly touched the skin.

(SSJYNH)

Shinji felt the pain in his neck intensify as he quickly fought back the effects of the alcohol he just downed, immediately regretting take part in that post-ceremonial past time the second Misato stepped into view.

"NO, STOP!" he stretched his hand forward and shouted when he saw the Yautja approach Misato, whom immediately held the dagger tighter against Mana's neck. "MISATO!"

Misato looked at him, who noticed his eyes were wavering.

"W-what are you doing here?"

Misato appeared irritated, "These things kidnapped me dragged me up here!"

Angry, Shinji exclaimed, "What?"

He immediately turned around and faced the High Elder.

"_Why?"_ he demanded.

The Elder crossed his arms,_ "If I recall, Warrior Nam mentioned a certain purple-haired ooman would be perfect for you?"_

Shinji's eyes widened as he blushed, then spun to face Nam, who rolled his eye briefly before looking back in a serious manner.

The newly christened warrior gritted his teeth…

**That perverted hac'nikt! You might as well have sold Misato to the Slavers! It'd be more humane than _this_.**

He then quickly relaxed and took back what he just mentally shouted at Nam, still blushing.

**Actually…**

(SSJNYH)

**The hell are they saying? Must be about me and it's perverted, cause' Shinji's is redder than a tomato!**

Shinji turned back to face her, desperate looking.

"Let Mana go, Misato," Shinji said.

Misato looked at him as if he was crazy, then nudged her head towards the hunters ready to pounce on her from both sides.

"Trust me."

Misato suddenly found herself obeying him without hesitation, lowering the dagger and releasing Mana, who ran toward Shinji side.

"Shinji-dono!" she exclaimed with relief.

The Yautja suddenly lunged for her, one of them grabbing her by the throat from behind and painfully forcing her to kneel on the ground, causing her to cry out. Alarmed, Shinji stepped forward and snarled their way.

Feeling the alien's tight hold on her beck, Misato struggled to look up at to see Shinji's snarling, beastly image directed towards those holding her down. Immediately they complied, letting her go and seeing them step away. Shinji then stepped towards her, the circle of hunters clearing away from him and Misato. Mana stood where she was, however, impassive.

Misato was intrigued…

**What's going on?**

The Elder and the hunter surrounding him looked Shinji's way. The boy turned around and spoke to them, his voice a mixture of pleading and aggressiveness. The Elder spoke back, sounding indifferent. Shinji responded more aggressively, snarling even louder and almost causing Misato to jump.

She looked at him.

**Whoa…sounds like he's _really_ telling it to them. _Whatever_ he's saying…**

Shinji then stepped over to Misato side and she immediately felt his hand on her shoulder, which slowly moved towards the back of her neck, his fingers briefly skimming through her hair and Misato could hold back a blush from Shinji's sudden contact. The Yautja around them watched with curiosity, especially this one very tall hunter who appeared to be smirking towards them. Misato noticed that the female Yautja from earlier was watching her, appearing very serious with her arms crossed.

**Seriously, _what's_ going on?**

"Stand."

Misato looked up at him, hearing him hiss down at her.

"Huh?"

"Stand up."

She complied, standing up and at Shinji's side. Except for the High Elder, that female hunter and the perverted looking hunter everything else in the room suddenly drew their weapons and slowly advanced towards Shinji and Misato, pushing past a now startled Mana, mandibles clicking agreesively. The boy suddenly drew his nodachi and waved it at them, growling at them.

The Yautja all stood their ground. Shinji growled even louder, then looking over at Misato and sizing her up. He then turned away from her, closed her tightly then blushed, still frowning all the while. He then opened his eyes and spoke some more, the last words of the alien language he was fluent in carrying a sense of finality.

The Yautja suddenly all calmed down, except for one who suddenly stepped forward, armed with a longsword that appeared to be a giant saw.

"Razor Sword!" Shinji exclaimed in Japanese, glaring intensely at the aged hunter.

Misato turned to him, already tired of being a spectator to something she had no idea what was happening.

(SSJNYH)

Mana pushed her way through the crowd and stepped up to Gaun's side.

"Gaun-sensei!" she exclaimed, gripping her master's elbows with her hands in desperation. "We must help Shinji-dono!"

Gaun clicked her mandibles, frowned and pushed her back some. "This is something he must do for himself, and for _her_ as well."

Mana turned to Shinji, anxiously, seeing Razor Sword advance towards him and Misato, shouting down at them angrily.

**Shinji-dono!**

(SSJNYH)

"…_I won't allow this!"_ Razor Sword exclaimed at Shinji. _"You, a ooman, may have received the Mark, but that does not entitle you to privileges reserved solely for true hunters."_

"_I AM a true hunter!"_ Shinji exclaimed. _"And I choose HER!"_

Misato could see that once again they were talking, or rather growling, about her. She suddenly felt Shinji hand on her chest as he pushed her back. He then snarled and lunged at Razor Sword, who drew his own sawbladed sword with his left hand and swung it over arm. Shinji blocked the strike, both hands on the hilt. Razord Sword suddenly extended his right wrist blades and swung, forcing Shinji to roll backwards to avoid it.

"SHINJI!" Misato cried.

Razor Sword smirked, _"Perhaps as a lesson to you, Pyode Amedha pet, after I defeat you and you still have but some life left in your scrawny form I'll claim her for myself right in this chamber, right in front you._

Stung, Shinj then went on the offensive, swinging his nodachi at Razord Sword, forcing him to continually keep blocking. Smiling viciously, Shinji then swung his sword upward vertically with such force that Razor Sword's blade was sent flying from his grasp. Bellowing angrily, Razor Sword suddenly backhanded Shinji, knocking him down to the ground right in front of Misato where he dropped his sword.

"S-Shinji!" Misato exclaimed again, dreading the approaching Hunter.

Smirking, Razord Sword stepped forward, intent on finishing Shinji off. Misato noticed Mana's dagger still on the ground as quickly bent over to pick it up, stepping forward so that she was standing over Shinji and pointing towards Razord Sword. This elicited looks and cries of surprise from the other Yautja in the room. Gaun continued to watch intently.

"Back off, you ugly bastard!" Misato growled.

Razor Sword smirked even wider, now distracted by the fragile looking ooman female that he was fighting for rights over over, "Lou'de ka'lei Pyode Amedha…heh heh heh…

Taking advantage of Razor Sword's humour towards Misato, Shinji extended his wrist blade and jabbed forward and pierced Razor Sword's side, eliciting a cry of pain from him and causing Misato to back off, gripping the dagger tightly.

(SSJNYH)

Gaun watched as his student disarmed the older Razor Sword, then proceeded to lunge at him with only his wrist blades.

"RAAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!"

Through the sudden haze brought upon by agony long since forgotten Razor Sword saw Shinji lunged at him, wristblades drawnBefore he had the chance to defend him he was tackled to the ground. Razor Sword bellowed in pain when Shinji stabbed him through the shoulder with his wrist blade.

_"YOU WON'T EVER TOUCH HER!"_ Shinji screamed at him as he begun to pummel his face in. _"YOU PERVERTED HAC'NIKT!"_

Gaun watched her apprentice attacked the older Predator silently, observing the way he defended the ooman female, his determined, rage-filled face and emotionless eyes. Best of all, there were no tears in those eyes.

**He no longer sheds a tear for those he inflicts pain on! He goes all out for his female's honour!**

**He is no longer a pup.**

She then walked over to him.

**But he's still _my_ pup.**

(SSJYNH)

After another ten second of straight punching to face, Shinji got off the larger hunter, fists drenched in glowing green blood. Razor Sword laid there convulsing briefly before passing out from a concussion after taking so many punches to the head. Shinji stood there in triumph, then gave one last snarl towards the Yautja present.

He then turned towards Misato, who looked back almost terrified at him. She then narrowed her eyes at him and exhaled, then closed her eyes and nodded.

**What you just did, I think you just saved my life.**

"Thank you, Shinji," Misato said.

Suddenly loud boisterous laughter was heard and Nam stepped forwards towards him and the other hunters all appeared to relax and even looked at Misato as if with acceptance. Shinji frowned when he felt his hand on his shoulder, then gave Misato a playful looking leer.

"Shinji?"

"Yeah?"

"What does this big bruiser want?"

Still frowning, Shinji grunted, "Just ignore him."

Nam then gave a playful slap and sending him tripping towards Misato.

"WAAAAAAH!"

"HEY…AH!"

They both fell to the ground, Shinji on top of Misato; the sound of Nam's laughter gradually being joined by that other hunter save for Gaun and the High Elder filling the chamber. Shinji braced himself on his hands which were near both sides of Misato's head and they found themselves staring into each other's widened, surprised eyes, blushing like crazy from this sudden, forced, almost intimate contact.

**Did that bruiser...do that on purpose?**

"S-Shinji?" Misato was in disbelief that this embarrassed her.

"Y-yeah?" he found himself in panic mode.

"Could you get off me?" she replied calmly.

Shinji nodded quickly and got up, still blushing like mad and sweating profusely. He stretched his hand forward towards Misato and helped her onto her feet. She then levelled a glare towards Nam, who smirked back at her.

"Shinji?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd…like to leave now," Misato said, slowly losing her composure as the stress was starting to get to her. "I don't think I'd…"

She didn't finish what she was saying, as Shinji quickly stretched is hand forward and put his hand on her neck in a sleeper hold, instantly knocking her out. He caught him as he fell, however, and gently laid on back on the ground. Nam looked down at them, still smirking.

Shinji glared viciously up at Nam, "You're a pervert, Nam!"

"I did you a favour, Curved Blade," Nam responded coolly. "Trust me, you'll be thinking of me when you and your woman…uh…"

He then held his tongue and appeared.

"…actually, that would be gross."

Shinji snarled and delivered a left hook to Nam's gut, knocking the wind out of him. He just chuckled even more.

"So what happens now, Hunter Curved Blade?" the Elder stepped up towards him.

Shinji lost his frown, now looking determined.

"I'm…taking Misato back…"

He then looked down at a sleeping Misato.

"…and I'm staying with her…"

He then downcast his eyes and frowned.

"…as long as she needs me…"

"Good," the Elder stated. "Because I have a mission for you. Something I have been reserving for a newly Blooded hunter."

Shinji looked back up at the Elder, intrigued. He then looked over at Gaun, who nodded. And Mana just appeared worried for him.

"What mission?"

* * *

Paya - God  
Ell-osde – You  
Nan-ku – Alive  
L'ulig-bpe – Madness, crazy  
Ki'its-pa – Spear  
Thwei – Blood  
Tarei hsan – Unworthy opponent/parasite  
Gkaun-yte - Greeting/Hello  
N'yaka-de - Master  
Sei-I - Yes  
Chiva – Circle  
Dhi'ki-de - The Long Sleep  
Jehdin - One  
Hac'nikt – Derogatory term (bastard (?) perhaps)  
Cn'tlip - Alcoholic drink

Sumimasen – Excuse me

To be honest I didn't mean for this chapter to be this long, but I thought I might as well take care of the issue of Shinji's status among the Clan, his stance with Misato, then concentrate on both his continued fight against the Angels, SEELE and even against NERV; plus flashbacks of his growing up on the Yautja Homeworld.

Next chapter will be the first of several chapters detailing Shinji growing up among the Predators, each one detailing a year and a specific event in that year that helped shape him into the non-wuss this fic has carved him out to be.

What do you think?


	13. Chapter 12: Pup

Disclaimer: See the Prologue

_I've recently discovered 'Television Troupes & Idioms'. Unless you already know about it I won't get into any specifics about it (though I will mention that my fic, EVA-Life, gets a Fan Fic Recommendation, which was a nice surprise). Needless to say, Evangelion has a few hundred of those troupes, invents a few of them…and subverts nearly HALF of them._

_To **Dark Vizard447**: Except for his comedic appearance in the omake, I wasn't thinking of Kratos or God of War when developing Shinji Curved Blade. I was actually thinking of the protagonist from Buronson (Fist of the North Star) and Kentaro Miura's (the twisted mind behind **Berserk**) collaboration**, King of Wolves**. With my rendition of Shinji it's what would happen if the Yautja had beaten the angst out of him and give him the confidence and the belief he should take a stab, literally, at his problems instead of running away from them. And the xenomorphs will reappear soon enough._

_To **Volasraptor **and **YoukoTaichou**_: _Just wait and see._

_**To Iron Mantis**_: _If I had any interest in Gintama I'd start thinking about ways for Chimera, Darkspawn or even Locusts to tear Edo a new grub hole. But alas, at the moment I have no interest. Savvy?_

_And to everyone else, thanks for your kind words and feedback._

* * *

Chapter 12 - Pup (Year 1, Age 7)

* * *

_Sitting on top of the highest peak, I try to pick you out, Blue Planet, from the mess of stars, constellations and planets the dot the night sky. The years have passed, I've become stronger, I fear less and I still can't find you. I stain myself trying to find you, but I can't amongst such mess._

_My sword is lying right next to me, in my sheath, and when I find you, Blue Planet, I will draw the sword out, and I promise to cut a bloody swath against the one who ruined my life._

_Pray I never find you, Blue Planet, because when I find the one that ruined me, I will spill RED upon your Blue._

_**Shinji Curved Blade, Age 14**_

(SSJNYH)

Asleep and shivering in his own end of the dark, winding cave with lightly-glowing rocks embedded in the ceiling and wall providing little light that shone on him, Shinji instinctively pulled the fur blanket tighter against himself as he laid on the soft moss. It wasn't nightmares that were disturbing him so, but the cold. It was cold.

The first time in his life, he was wrapped in a thick blanket and he still felt cold; as if he was ill. Far cry from nightmares that disturbed his sleep, but equally debilitating. Shinji's eyes opened slowly and he felt himself awaken. His eyes scanned his surrounding area and he sighed.

He wasn't dreaming. The last twenty-four hours weren't a dream. His uncle and aunty were still dead; his house was still burnt cinders, he was still on a alien world; and as he felt his cheeks they still had those cuts, each beneath small bandages, inflicted by that alien serpent's barbed tail that would end up becoming scars. But at the very least the monster's poison had worked it's way out of his body.

Shinji stared at the passage that led towards the entrance into the cave pulled the blanket back. Wrapped in his blanket following the glowing rocks he led himself outside, the cold semi-arid air immediately breezing over him.

The environment was a cross between a plateau and a large network of canyons with most of the Yautja settlements built into them, with a large river running through each canyon. Flora consisted of wild grass, bushes and lots of rock. The cave that he was currently standing outside was on the outskirts of the settlements to the east, which faced the canyon and one of the rivers.

Strangely, despite wearing only a tunic and a small loincloth, he didn't feel cold any more; even as he looked up sadly at the stunning night sky. Not only stars littered the blackness, but also entire planets could be seen in clear view. One gigantic ringed world and one of it's three moons. And if one could squint he could see neon-coloured dots that were planetoids. Shinji squinted as hard as he could at the sky, trying to see if he could make out the Earth.

When he felt his vision start to become blurry, he sighed and looked down, giving a small hiccup.

**You'd be out looking for me right now, wouldn't you dad? If you…thought I was still on Earth.**

Hours later the sun rose, Gaun in her casual wear stepped out of the cave, stretching her limbs. She had sensed that her charge wasn't in his corner of her hole in the rock and looked down to see Shinji still asleep, wrapped in the fur blanket and his head resting on his arm.

(SSJNYH)

Gaun stared curiously down at the ooman pup. She then looked up at the sky.

He must have tried to pick out the ooman planet from amongst that jumbled mess called the night sky.

**Curious.**

She stretched a foot forward and lightly tapped Shinji's side.

"Huh?"

Shinji's eyes slowly opened. He then yawned and looked upward to see Gaun looking down at him, arms crossed.

"Gaun?"

Crossing her arms, Gaun indicated with her eyes his blanket, then rolled them over to the cave. Shinji looked down at it, then up at the Huntress. Shinji sighed and nodded, unwrapping himself of the blanket and dragging it back into the cave. Gaun watched him leave slowly, still curious…

He understood me. He just had to read my eues and he's compliant, just like that. He must be used to it. Used to doing what other people tell him too, like he has no free will of his own.

**Might make it easier keeping him in line as a pup, but when he gets older…he'll have to make his own decisions. It would mean his life.**

Gaun then followed after Shinji, stepping back into the cave.

His own decisions, yet still honour the clan. And me.

(SSJNYH)

After setting the blanket down on the moss, he felt his tummy rumble and he moved his left hand to rub it, grimacing sightly.

**I forgot. I didn't eat anything during school yesterday…was it yesterday? Wonder what they have to eat here?**

His eyes then flew open in realisation.

**Would I be **_**able**_** to eat food here? Is it poisonous? Will it kill me?**

Gaun appeared behind him, clicking her mandibles. Shinji spun around, startled, but immediately calm down. His stomach growled again and the Huntress cocked her head in curiosity. Shinji rubbed the back of his head, appearing nervous.

The Predator raised a hand and stretched out a thumb towards that pointed towards the back of her, indicating he should follow her and he did so. He noticed her pick up a spear that was leaning against the side of the cave's entrance before leading him towards the creek outside the cave. Approaching the creek, Gaun hissed at Shinji and nodded her head.

Shinji found himself instinctively sitting down, watching silently as Gaun approached the water; where she just stood there with the spear in her hands. Half-a-minute passed, with Shinji looking at Gaun, then turning his attention to the water, then back at her.

He almost jumped out of his skin when Gaun suddenly gripped the spear and thrust it into the water within the blink of an eye, before raising the weapon and revealing that she had just impaled two large bluish-green fish. Shinji looked on in awe of Gaun's skill with the spear.

"Whoa…" Shinji said.

He then smiled over at the Huntress, who held the spear across her shoulders. She looked back at him, curiously. His smile then faded and he appeared worried.

**Did I…do something wrong?**

(SSJNYH)

She then stepped back over to Shinji and rested the spear with the still-alive, flapping fish against a rock. She then unsheathed her dagger and, making sure Shinji was watching with another grunt, proceeded to cut a couple of thick strands from her hands.

Shinji watched silently, appearing very attentive, as she put the hairs on a smooth rock, then took a pair of small stones. Holding each stone with both hands she proceeded to strike them together, briefly making a spark. Shinji's eye flew open in realisation.

'She's showing me…how to make fire.'

He nodded, almost yelling out loud, "I…I know how that works…"

Gaun was intrigued as Shinji looked around, and noticing an arid-looking bush stepped up to it and gripped hold of it. Gaun watched in curiosity as Shinji pulled the bush up, broke some of it up and placed it on top of the hair, adding fuel to the fire. The Huntress clicked her mandibles, as if with approval.

**Look like he knows the basic principles of making fire.**

Shinji smiled, watching the fire gradually become larger and hotter.

**And already trying to earn my approval.**

(SSJNYH)

Soon they were eating cooked fish. Shinji was sitting cross-legged on the ground and picking pieces of meat off his fish, tossing bones and organs to the side, Gaun briefly glancing at him before resuming devouring her own food. It was strange that close to twenty minutes ago he was worried about the fauna killing him if he tried killing it and now he appeared to enjoy eating the mutant looking fish.

**That was…nice.**

He then gave a light belch, causing Gaun to look up back at him. He blushed lightly.

"Excuse me."

Gaun stared at him contemplatively for a few seconds before she resumed eating. She noticed him get up and walk over to the lake. He then got down on his knees and washed his hands, then Gaun notice him mould his hands into a cup and wash his face. He then scooped some water out and thirstily bring it towards his mouth…

He suddenly felt Gaun's hand grip his tightly…

"HUH?"

…preventing him from _drinking_ the water.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Shinji asked, frantically. "Di-did I do something…wrong?"

Gaun signalled him to follow her. And he did so, confused.

(SSJNYH)

Shinji looked all around himself, wondering at the utterly alien sights that bombarded him. He marvelled at the planets still clear in the morning sky, the occasional ship taking off from the surface and ascending into the atmosphere and the animal-like sounds and growls from the nearby settlement he and Gaun were living outskirts to.

All this as he followed said Huntress, who felt himself becoming more parched by the minute. Gaun stopped in her tracks, and Shinji bumped into her leg and fell onto the ground. Rubbing his head, he looked up to see Gaun staring down at him, then over at what appeared to be a cactus. Shinji looked at it, questioningly.

His mind clicked and his eyes widened when he realised what it was.

**It _is _a cactus.**

Gaun clicked her mandibles, drawing Shinji's attention. The boy cringed and backed away as moisture suddenly hit him in the cheek when the Huntress sliced the top off one of the cactus's stems, water immediately dripping out. Shinji stared, amazed.

Gaun pointed at it and Shinji looked up at her, concerned. Gaun nodded, Shinji gulped…

**Hope that's water and not…something else…**

He knelt in front of the cactus and carefully put his lips towards the stem. His eyes widened when he felt the surprisingly cool liquid moisten his slightly dry lips. He then stuck his tongue out and allowed more droplets to fall upon it. He then heard something collide with the rock, and he looked to his side to see that Gaun and thrown a knife to his side.

He hesitantly picked it up. Looking up at Gaun, she edged her head toward the cactus. Shinji swallowed and reached towards one of the stems, opting to hold to the less prickly part while he sawed off one of the stems.

(SSJNYH)

Gaun watched silently as Shinji attempted to draw water for himself, wondering if he was going to prick himself upon the sharp spines of the cactus. Shinji cut off one of the stems, water spilling out. Quickly holding it upright so that no more water spilt out he opened his mouth and upturned it so that the water went into his mouth.

**That was easy enough for him.**

He then dropped the stalk and wiped his mouth, his thirst quenched. He then suddenly waved his hand in front of his eyes. Gaun's eyes narrowed in curiosity.

**Why _is _he doing that?**

(SSJNYH)

**I don't feel funny or see anything else that's funny. That **_**was**_** water I just drank and not…cactus juice…that stuff that drives you crazy, like from that American cartoon…**

He smiled in spite of himself and looked up at Gaun, only to see that she was walking away. Despair immediately gripping him, he ran after her knife still in hand.

"Hey, wait for me!" he exclaimed.

(SSJNYH)

Up until the sun was high in the sky Shinji and Gaun traversed the plateau, and though no words were exchanged between them apart from Gaun's clicks and grunt and Shinji's exclamations which were lost to each other it was apparent that she was showing him around the area. Shinji couldn't contain his marvel at the sights of various alien desert plants, the views from standing on top of high rocks or edge and the that fact he was on an alien world.

Squatting before a plant that resembled a closed flower, Shinji reached towards it, but suddenly froze. He looked over his shoulder at Gaun. The Huntress just stared back, showing no signs of stopping him. Shinji looked back at the flower and touched the stem, sensing that it did not feel any different than a normal flower back on Earth.

"Hmm."

Suddenly it opened it's brownish petals, revealing a orange-yellow centre and a insect resembling a purple wasp flew out. Shinji's eyes widened and he just froze there as the insect buzzed in front of him. It then landed on his nose, the boy frozen stiff, and one jolt of electricity later Shinji was sent falling backward onto his ass.

"OW!"

The insect flew away and Shinji rubbed his nose, grimacing painfully. His eyes widened when he heard Gaun chuckling behind him. He looked up at her, shocked; and seeing that her mandibles were arranged in smile. He then glared up at her.

"That wasn't funny!" he exclaimed.

**He's being assertive, letting me know he means business and is not to be trifled.**

Gaun's frowned back, making Shinji lose his confidence, immediately bowing his head, now nervous about doing something wrong. Gaun inwardly sighed.

**And now he's back to being…a pup. We're going to have to work hard to rebuild that confidence in him. **

**Rebuild? A fitting word. Someone really beat this pup down…not physically, but emotionally and mentally.**

Before Shinji realised it his arms were around Gaun's neck and he buried his head into her shoulder, his eyes closed tightly and he shivered and whimpered with fright as they begun to scale a cliff. Gaun paused, taking note of Shinji's behaviour, before continuing on.

**Normal ooman pup fears. This of which is of heights.**

**If he is to survive, he must overcome them. Starting now…**

About five minutes of climbing later. Gaun grunted and Shinji opened his eyes. He dared to look over his shoulder to see the ground. He tentatively lessened his hold on Gaun's neck and he dropped onto the ground, the rock beneath his feet adding to the callus that was slowly beginning to develop on his on soles. Shinji groaned and fell on his bottom, where he slowly begun to rub his feet.

"Ah! Ow!"

He looked up at Gaun, whose arms were crossed, looking back down at him. She then looked out far ahead and Shinji did to.

"Oh…uh…WOW!"

Shinji felt his breath get taken away as he and Gaun looked over what would appear to be alien version of the Grand Canyon, only with the settlement built into it.

**Full of wonder…**

Shinji then dared to look down.

**He looks down…**

And felt the blood drain from his face when he realised how far up they were and he stepped backward away from the edge, inevitably dripping and falling back on his bottom, shivering slightly.

**Fear…**

"W-we're a l-long way up, Gaun," Shinji stuttered, wiping moisture from his forehead. "We're going to climb down again s-soon, right?"

Gaun approached him. To Shinji's surprise she shook her head.

**I understand his pleas.**

Shinji's eyes widened.

"W-what?"

**He **_**will**_** understand me.**

Gaun pointed up at the sun, then slowly moved her finger as if pointing out the suns' descent downward. She then pointed to the two of them, then down on the large, tall rock mass they were seemingly stuck on. Shinji shivered when he appeared to understand what she was saying.

"We're staying _here_ for the night?"

Gaun clicked her mandible and nodded.

He understands. He is very intelligent for his age, able to understand such simple motions of the body.

"O-ok then," Shinji said, unsure and still shaken by the cliff height they were standing on.

He then sat down on the ground and looked at his feet. He grimaced and winced in pain when he noticed a few cuts on the sole of his feet and the first stages of callous beginning to form. He traced a finger over it.

"Ow."

Gaun observed closely as Shinji took his tunic off and begin to tear the bottom part of the fabric off. He then wrapped them around his feet and stood up, immediately feeling relief as the rock no longer caused friction against his cuts. He then put his tunic back on, albeit now is belly was revealed. Shinji blushed in embarrassment.

"Great," he muttered to himself.

Gaun gave a Yautja smile.

**His cynicism…is apparent. And for his age, very strange.**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji sighed as he pulled his loincloth up as he finished doing his…business…over the side of the cliff, having kept his eyes closed the whole time, so he wouldn't die of fright due to the height and the edge he was standing a few centimetres away from as he…

**I can't believe I had to…do **_**that**_**…over a cliff.**

He looked over his shoulder to see Nam lying on the ground looking up at the clouds sky, bored-like. She then gazed over at him, causing him to quickly look away, blushing embarrassingly having relieved himself in the presence of someone, though she hadn't been watching. He then heard his stomach rumble. He rubbed it and grimaced.

He frowned.

**Bet she can go weeks without food. She probably didn't think about me when she…**

Out the corner of his eye he noticed what appeared to be yellow pear-shaped, wild fruit growing on a nearby bush. Tapping his bottom lip thoughtfully he stepped towards it, stretching his hand towards one of the fruit.

He then paused, and realised…

**I didn't wash my hands after going to the bathroom.**

He then remembered where he was. He then sighed, wiped his hands on his loincloth and picked the fruit off the bush. He studied it.

**Looks like a pear, and it feels like a lemon.**

Shinji looked over at Gaun, who was still watching the midday clouds. He quietly and shyly walked over towards her.

"Uh…Gaun?"

She looked over at him, silently. He pointed at the fruit, then extended it to her. Sitting up, she took it from him and broke it in half with only the pointer fingers and thumbs of each hand. Shinji took his half, and saw the inside of it. It resembled citrus all right.

Shinji cautiously brought it to his tongue, and his eyes flew open as a combination of sweet and sour assaulted his senses, causing him to scrounge his face slightly. Gaun narrowed her eyes at him and she twisted her mandibles in a smirk.

"Good?"

Shinji's eyes widened when she heard Gaun speak to him, in Japanese. He looked back at her, and somehow could tell she was smiling at him.

Shinji stood there, expressionless, for a few seconds. He then smiled lightly.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Good."

(SSJNYH)

Night fell over the plateau and Shinji was fast asleep with his head resting on his folded up tunic beside the fire, which had been made using the bush located up on the cliff and sparks once again generated using stones. Gaun was sitting bow-legged on the other side of fire. Gaun was always the night owl, never falling asleep until late.

**It's quiet. Besides the cracking of the fire and light snore of the ooman pup lying across from me, it's quiet.**

**I like quiet. Gives me time to think.**

She then appeared pensive.

**The Mad Elder said that one day oomans would be worthy enough to hunt beside Predator, that they would become our equals instead of being just prey or Aseigan – taken from birth or during childhood from their home planets, raised to worship Yautja and be made to serve us. Like how Shin-ji may end up as if he cannot prove himself before the High Elder.**

**He never said who would be the first one to become worthy enough or how it may transpire; he never said anything like that during his maddened ramblings. And if he hadn't been the one to raise me, I would have never promised him to find that ooman. And _I_ would have been the one that ended his life in such a cowardly manner: From behind.**

She sighed.

**So far the ooman pup has not given me problems. But will that change? And how I will deal with that? Will there be a misjudge of character on either mine or his part? Would it result in the pup's death, or even mine?**

"Mom…"

She was brought out of her thoughts by Shinji murmuring in his sleep.

"Mommy? Where are you…?

Past the flames Gaun could see that Shinji was talking, or rather whimpering, in his sleep, tears running down his cheeks. The Huntress knew that he was having a nightmare, and after minute he was still suffering from it.

"…mommy? Don't leave me, please don't leave…me…"

He calling out for his mother, his bearer. Couldn't have been one of the oomans slain by the Kainde Amedha, otherwise he would have been a compete wreck when I found, not having the courage to stand up to the serpent and receive the scars on his cheek.

"Dad? No, daddy…please…?"

"Huh?"

Gaun was now shocked to hear him continue

**Dad? His **_**father**_**? His sire?**

**He left him too?**

**Who would do that to their own pup?**

Gaun sighed and stood up, walking around the fire and knelt beside Shinji, leaving over the young boy. Shinji tears now run freely and Gaun grimaced.

**What else he must take control of? His attachments to what he has now left behind. To him they must be a shadow, an afterthought, and an unwanted memory. He would be better off without them.**

Remembering how ooman bearers treated their pups whenever they would cry, Gaun reached for Shinji, and gently scooped him up in her arms and cradled him. Shinji continued to still cry, but after a minute they begun to slowly lessen and gradually they faded until he gave one last hiccup and started to sleep a lot more sounder.

Gaun's eyes now appeared softer as she watched Shinji sleep.

**One can easily feel the pain, torment even, radiating off this pup. Whatever happened to his bearer, his mother, he must have seen with his own two eyes.**

**But what of his sire? Where did he go?**

Gaun gently planted Shinji back on the ground, laying his head on tunic, before lying down to his him. She was awake for another hour….

**If he is to survive and be made to serve the clan, he will need a mother.**

…before falling asleep, her right hand protectively on Shinji's chest.

**…and that would have to be me.**

(SSJNYH)

Morning came much later as the sun begun to rise. Shinji yawned and stretched his small arms as he opened his eyes. He grimaced as he lifted his head, rubbing the back of it as felt discomfort from lying his head on rock through the soft fabric of his tunic. He froze when he realised something was amiss, and he turned to his side to find the large Huntress lying next to him, still asleep, her hand resting on his chest.

He realised that she must have slept next to him all night, and blushed lightly.

**It was her. I-I didn't feel cold, or didn't have nightmares. I was…chasing after dad, crying…but thent…I thought I was being held by my mom.**

**But…it was _her_ all along…**

He then suddenly couldn't help smile. Getting up on his feet, he rubbed the small of his back and walked over towards the edge of the cliff. Looking down it, he felt like he didn't have a fear of heights as he saw how small the river was down there. He sighed and rubbed his back, reserving himself to his fate. Suddenly he was no longer afraid of heights, having spent the night sleeping on the tallest peak he's ever being up on in his short life.

**I guess I'm going to have to stay here after all.**

He then looked over his shoulder at the Yautja.

**But…at least **_**she**_** cares.**

(SSJNYH)

Time passed for the displaced human child – days, then weeks. He soon couldn't remember what Earth day it was and resigned himself to routine:

Wake up. Relieve himself outside the cave. Wash himself in the lake, then retrieve water from the lake using a bucket. Catch food, either fish or wild fruit or vegetable and feed himself. Interact silently with Gaun. Think about his past life back on Earth. Follow Gaun as she patrolled the canyon and listen to her say random alien gibberish, and study whatever she pointed at. Interact some more with her. Think some more on his life back on Earth Feed himself. Return to his corner of the cave, and fall asleep.

(SSJNYH)

Things changed about a month later, when he was gathering water and Shinji noticed that his hair had grown to reach his shoulders. He frowned as he looked at himself in the reflection of the water.

**I don't like long hair.**

Picking up a strip of cloth he tied it around his hair, giving himself a ponytail.

**Guess until I learn to ask Gaun to cut my hair this will have to do.**

He smiled as he looked at his reflection, proud of his work. When he stood and turned around to retrieve his bucket, however, he found three Yautja around his height standing behind him. And he could tell from studying Gaun's own facial expression that they appeared to be in both awe and disgust at the sight of him.

"_They were right!" _one of them cried_. "A ooman does live with that Lou-dte Kalei!"_

"_Look at it! It's ugly as hell!"_

"_Yeah."_

Though he couldn't understand them, he could tell they weren't happy to see him. Nervously, he stepped back, his heel touching the water; immediately causing him to look over his shoulder and stop himself from slipping in.

The lead Yautja pup snorted and laughed, _"Look, I think it's afraid of us."_

He then stepped forward so that he was face to face with Shinji.

"_Aren't you, ooman."_

For good measure, the pup then shoved Shinji backwards and into the water, splashing water everywhere. The other Yautja then chortled as Shinji came back up spluttering and pulled himself back up, only to be shoved onto the ground by the lead bully again.

"_Show him whose boss, Kur."_

"_Yeah, prove that we can be good hunters."_

Kur smirked, _"I will."_

The pup advanced on Shinji, and was efficiently felled when Shinji grabbed his water bucket by the handle and hurled it at Kur, hitting him between the eyes and downing him with a loud CLANK when it made contact with him. Shinji appeared disturbed and angry, with tears welling in his eyes; never having experienced physical assault until now.

**They…they could have killed me.**

Kur felt his forehead, feeling a bump. Flaring his mandibles in anger and tears pooling in his eyes Kur got back up.

"_Y…you tetch'na Pyode Amedha!" _he growled as he advanced upon Shinji. _"I'll kill you…I'll…"_

He froze when he suddenly felt something fly skim past his cheek and landing, blade first, into the rock before Shinji's feet. The boy looked up to see Gaun materialising, complete with mask, armour, mesh and weaponry. The pups looked up at Gaun, appearing frightened at the sight of the Huntress, the smallest of them actually shivering.

"_I-it's really her!"_ the shivering pup cried. _"The Female Predator!"_

She then growled and nudged her head upward, signalling Shinji. Shinji looked down at the knife buried in the rock before his feet, bent over and pulled it out. The pups turned towards him, and each of them stepped back as the ooman, with both hands on the hilt, pointed the knife towards them in a threatening, yet uncertain, manner. Kur growled at the ooman and stepped forward.

"_You don't know how to use _that, _hac'nikt!"_ the pup growled. _"I'll just take that off you…"_

Shinji hissed through gritted teeth and looked like he was about to lunge towards them, causing Kur to jump back in fright. Inwardly, Shinji had frightened himself as well.

**W-what am I doing?**

"_You males wish to harm the ooman?"_ Gaun crossed her arms. _"Go ahead, by all means. Just know that it won't just be his blood that will be spilled."_

The pups looked up at Gaun, then over Shinji; who now appeared uncertain and actually determined to defend himsekf. Kur shook his head, growled and smacked both his friend across the head.

"_We're leaving!"_

And they ran away, tails between their legs. Shinji, feeling like he had just been holding his breathe, begun to breathe harshly and sounded panicked as he collapsed onto his knees, tears once again welling in his eyes. Gaun leapt from the rock she had being standing upon and landed before Shinji. The ooman looked up at her, and the way she stared back as if right through his eyes and into his soul.

"G-Gaun?"

The Huntress squatted so that their head were almost level. She was silent when Shinji stretched his hands forward and offered the blade back to her, the weapon resting sideways in the palms of his hand. Gaun shook her head, and grasping his hands closed the fingers over the blade. Shinji's eyes widened when she felt the blade against the bottom of each of his fingers.

"Yours."

Shinji's eyes widened when he understood that. He looked back up at her.

"M-mine?"

**Huh?**

He was shocked when he responded to her…in the language. His throat ached upon mimicking the throaty growl and clicking.

"You understand?"

Shinji nodded, his throat irritant and not wanting to add to it.

"You want protect yourself?" Gaun asked, to Shinji it sounded broken due to his limited understanding of the language. "Learn use ki?"

**Don't be afraid.**

Shinji nodded.

**I must not run away.**

"I teach you? Thin'de le'hsaun?"

**Run forward!**

Shinji nodded.

**I must run forward!**

He unclasped his hands, seeing the knife had cut his fingers. His breath caught in his throat, seeing his own blood for the first time in his life. He started to shake as shock begun to take effect, staring lifelessly at his own hands and the bloodied blade but looked right up into Gaun's masked face when she grasped his shoulders.

"Remember this!" she stated loudly and urgently. "See own blood, get used to! Much more be shed!"

Shinji was about to pass out, when he closed his eye tightly.

**I must not be afraid!**

**I must not run away!**

**I must run forward!**

**I must move ahead!**

He unconsciously dropped the knife. His eyes shot open and he quickly moved his hand forward and caught it, grabbing it by the hilt just as the tip of the blade was touching the stone ground. In awe of his own ability, Shinji looked up at Gaun, uncertain. The Huntress just nodded.

It proved too much for Shinji, however, and he passed out.

(SSJNYH)

**Present Day**

Alone in his cell, Shinji sat on the metal chair as the down light shone on him, staring hard and glaring at the steel door in front of him. His hands resting on his knees, the only sounds he could hear were his shallow breathing in and out of his nose and the wound of the security camera zooming in and out on him. He looked up at the camera, still frowning.

(SSJNYH)

In the eatery Maya shivered slightly in her seat as she watched the camera feed of Shinji on her laptop in her office.

"Scary," she said to herself.

"Huh?"

Shigeru was walking past her, and noticed Shinji's frowning visage on her laptop monitor.

"What are you looking at?" the long-haired tech asked. "Hey, is that the security feed?"

Maya nodded, "They're holding Shinji in the stockade."

She then frowned.

"And just right after surrendered himself, and brought Katsuragi back unharmed."

Shigeru scowled and slammed his can of soda on the table right next to Maya, causing her yelp and almost jump out of her seat.

"What d'ya expect?" he exclaimed. "He almost collapsed some Guard's trachea and came close to tearing the Commander a new one. We're not just going to just walk around free just like that."

Sitting at the opposite end of the table, Makato looked up from his manga and grimaced, "This sounds personal for you, him almost killing Ikari."

Shigeru's eyes widened, "Crap no! Shinji just scares the hell out of me, what with acting like a, so help me, tribal savage. What if he want crazy and tried to stab _me_ or anyone else around here?"

Makato shook his head, "Only if you threaten to attack him and force him into the EVA. Ikari did both of those and look what happened."

Maya looked back at he monitor and sighed, concerned.

"Well…I hope they let him out soon," Maya said. "He looks like he's just…"

She paused for a moment.

"…misunderstood."

"That…is a _real_ misunderstatement," Makato said.

(SSJNYH)

"Uhhhhhh…ow!"

Misato stirred as she regained consciousness, before reflexively moved her right hand to massage her left neck muscle, the last thing she felt was something, or someone, pinching her there before she blacked out. And now here she was, lying in NERV's Infirmary, still in her uniform, and not hooked up to any medical apparatus.

"Awake at last, Misato?"

"Wha…OH!"

Ritsuko was sitting by her bedside with one leg over the other, all business-like and appearing impatient.

Misato smiled, "H-how long have you been sitting there?"

"Only for a couple of minutes," Ritsuko said rather plainly. "The medic told me, save for a few scrapes on your neck, you were only unconscious and how much longer you were going to stay under."

Misato frowned and deadpanned, "And you wanted to catch me the moment I awake?"

"Exactly."

Misato snorted. Her eyes then shot open in realisation.

"SHINJI!"

"In the stockade."

Misato sighed and relaxed, "Of course, where else?"

Frowning, Ritsuko added, "We found the both of you lying in the middle of a street in downtown. Shinji surrendered himself."

"Why?"

"Ask him," Ritsuko said. "Commander Ikari has ordered his release and has dropped all charges against him. He'll be escorted up here soon enough."

Misato was surprised, gobsmacked even, that Commander Ikari would order the person who tried to kill him to go free.

"Ikari's letting him go free?" Misato nonetheless questioned. "Even after he…?"

"I'm just as surprised as you are," Ritsuko said.

Misato looked at her wryly.

'Bitter much?' she thought.

Misato groaned as she stood up from the bed, still feeling her aching neck muscle.

"Ah, I think someone did a sleeper hold on me," Misato gritted her teeth. "I didn't think it would still hurt after waking up."

Ritsuko stood from her chair and followed her out the room, "I wouldn't know."

Misato was displeased with Ritsuko's attitude.

_**Very**_** bitter much.**

(SSJNYH)

The two NERV guards nervously opened the door into Shinji's cell, SMGs primed and at the ready. To their relief they found Shinji still sitting there where Section 2 had left them. One of them actually sighed loudly and chuckled.

"Good, you're still here," the NERV-SEC smiled. "You're free to go."

"I am?" Shinji queried, eyebrows raised curiously.

"Yeah," the other guard stated, then waved his gun towards the hallway leading past the cells. "Let's go."

They were approaching the elevator leading out from the detention levels when they found two Section 2 agents waiting for them.

"We'll take him from here."

"Eh? Oh, well."

The NERV-SECs shrugged, turned around and went back in the opposite direction. Shinji shifted uncomfortably as they stepped into the lift. The door closed behind them and Shinji felt the familiar sensation of moving upward vertically.

He then heard one of the Men in Black speak.

"You're lucky, you know that?" the suit on the left said. "You take off half the Commander's face and he decides to let you off, right back to Katsuragi."

"Huh?" Shinji looked over his shoulder, not expecting them to mention Misato.

"He's got plans for you, boy," the other Section 2 agent stated grimly. "Better believe it."

Shinji huffed, "He ordered you to tell me that, right?"

The suits looked at one another.

"He's smart, alright. Far cry from the spineless retard we thought he'd turn out to be."

Shinji inwardly smirked.

Good. Something else Ikari can't hold over me.

The elevator stopped, the ping signalling they had arrived on the right floor.

"Well, here we are," the agent to the left said. "Hey kid…"

"What?"

The agent smirked, "Best of luck getting with Captain Katsuragi. Not that you'll need it, she'll put out easy for a little brat like you…"

…

…

…

…

…

…

Shinji felt his left eye twitch.

(SSJNYH)

Misato and Ritsuko heard two thumps from within the elevator as they waited for the doors to open. They rolled back, and were shocked to see the first agent tumble out of the elevator and fall onto the ground unconscious like a downed tree and his partner lying in the elevator, also unconscious. Both their heads sported hideous bruises, one of them had a small amount of blood on his forehead and there was blood on the elevator wall; making it apparent Shinji had slammed their heads against the wall.

"S-Shinji?" Misato cried. "What have you done?"

Frowning, the boy stepped out of the elevator and stated bluntly. "They said you'd put out for a little brat like me. I didn't like what they said."

Misato's face flushed, and Ritsuko's eyes widened at Shinji's deadpanned comment. Shinji walked past them, not allowing them to see that he was once again blushing. Misato just stood there looking at the unconscious NERV Intelligence agents, dumbfounded.

'They said _that_ to him?' Misato was aghast. 'And he smashed their heads in?'

"Captain!" Ritsuko exclaimed, bringing her out of her stupor.

"What?"

Ritsuko nudged her head towards them.

"Oh, right," Misato said. Referring to the Section 2 agents Misato sighed, "Call a medic, I guess."

(SSJNYH)

Gendo and Kozo had watched Shinji knock the Intelligence agents heads in from Gendo's monitor, slamming one of them into the way in a matter of seconds before the doors opened. The Commander having predicted the how the human predator would react the way he did to the agent's comments regarding Captain Katsuragi. Kozo raised his eyebrows when Shinji looked up at the camera and frowned, then stepped out of the elevator and leaving the Section 2 agents lying there, unconscious.

"He _has_ changed," Kozo stated matter-of-factly. "Do you consider this final proof, Ikari?"

"Yes."

Gendo had his bandages off. It looked like he had half of a Chelsea Grin on his face, a reminder that he had openly crossed his own flesh and blood for the final time. Gendo narrowed his eyes right back at the static image of Shinji, as if he once again facing off with him; only this time he wouldn't have a spear thrown at him.

"For the moment there's no need to force cooperation from him," Gendo went back to professional mode. "That is what Captain Katsuragi is for."

"Do you really believe that _they_ abducted Katsuragi for the sole purpose of giving her to Shinji?

"Yes. If these aliens are as savage and backward as their appearance suggests he would have had to compete for her. If not, she would have been given to the tribe, to be used at _their_ leisure."

Kozo inwardly smirked…

**So now they're practically betrothed, and technically she's Ikari's…heh…future daughter-in-law. Funny…**

"You planned for this, then?"

"Yes," Gendo stated. "Like I said to the Third before he raised his spear to me, I'm not surprised by the his change. Amongst all other possibilities of him not turning out the way I the Scenario intended, it included such feelings as anger."

Kozo frowned, "So you would have him destroy the world with his rage?"

Gendo was silent.

"What would be the catalyst? What would make him destroy every soul in this world through his anger?"

Beat.

Gendo pressed TAB on his keyboard, bringing up security feed of Misato running through a hallway as she caught up to Shinji, the boy leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"We give him everything," Gendo explained plainly. "Then we take them away. And curses the world in it's face."

"Does the Committee know?"

"Of course. I told them," the Commander said. "Suffice to say, I will need their aid in…taming…him.

As Gendo spoke, referring to Shinji as 'The Third' and his plans on dealing with him, Kozo thought he noticed a somewhat soft, almost resigned, inflection. It was giving the Sub-Commander the impression that Gendo was wary of his own son…almost frightened even. That his attempts to bend the Predator to his will would not only fufil the Scenario but would guarantee own life.

**No surprise, there. It was fear that made him reject his own son in the first place, and that made Shinji the boy…no… young MAN…that he's right now looking at from a safe place.**

**Shinji is what his father made him. And surprisingly, it benefits _him_.**

(SSJNYH)

The drive back to Misato's apartment was silent, both humans of different worlds silently replaying in their minds evens over the couple of days: Battle, followed by, in order: Abduction, Nudity, Presentation, Scars, Alcohol, Shock, Fight, Blood, Victory, Intimacy…

Intimacy…forced upon them by the clan. Shinji felt like he was in silent agony over it. Back at NERV in the elevator, he had practically defended _his woman's_ honour. And he wondered if she knew that.

"Shinji?"

"Yeah, Misato?"

"You should have ignored those Section 2," Misato said, trying to sound stern despite her calm voice and her eyes forward on the road ahead. "They wouldn't have said those things if they weren't ordered to."

Shinji was silent.

"I didn't like what they said," Shinji reiterated. "They shouldn't speak that way about you."

The older woman couldn't help but feel glad that Shinji defended her, even if it meant assaulting two more Section 2 agents and Shinji getting in deep with NERV Intelligence. Misato briefly glanced over at Shinji, seeing him watch the road ahead, slouching in his chair, looking like he was bored.

After everything he's being through, everything he's done, he just shrugs it all off; as if it were routine to him. Can't tell if he's desensitised or if' it's a mental said to him I'd put out for him…and he smashes their heads in.

She frowned.

**What do I make of that?**

(SSJNYH)

"Misato?"

"Yeah, Shinji?" Misato replied as she continued to face the road.

"D-do you remember what happened back on the ship?"

"For the rest of my life," Misato sighed.

"Do you…understand what happened?"

"Huh?"

She pulled up right in front of their apartment complex. She pulled the key out of ignition, making sure they had silence.

"How do you mean?" Misato turned to face him.

Shinji rubbed his forehead in frustration, "Why I had to punch Razor Sword's face in when he stepped forward towards you. A-and why they were…gesturing…you know…"

He blushed lightly.

"…wildly towards you, especially Nam."

"Nam? You mean the big lug that pushed us together?" Misato asked, feeling her face heat up.

"Yeah," Shinji nodded. "You understand what all that was about?"

Misato crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She smiled.

"I'd sayyyyyy: He was just playing around?" Misato said, almost jokingly. "They were just playing around? That was just your tribe…clan…family…whatever it is just getting together and having a few laughs, right? And I just happened…"

Shinji could practically feel the sarcasm rolling of her tongue.

"…to appear smack in the middle of the festivities, and ended up becoming the life of the party, right?

Misato mulled it over for a moment, before she slapped her hand over her face.

"They were all sizing me up, weren't they?" Misato asked, plainly.

Shinji nodded, "Pretty much."

Misato then turned to Shinji and actually making him feel afraid for a second because of the look on her face.

"Razor Sword, whatever the hell you called him, that pig wanted to fuck me, didn't he?"

Shinji frowned, "Yes. Most of the males wanted to."

Misato appeared fearful, "Y-you mean…?"

"You would have been passed around the whole clan if Razor Sword beat me. He would have allowed it, just to see the look on my face," Shinji's voice cracked as he felt anger build up within him. "I…I…"

Still fearful, Misato was silent as Shinji continued, feeling his chest start to heart and he slowly started to breathe less.

"I…would have fought all of them if it meant keeping their hands of you," Shinji explained, undoing his seatbelt and leaning over onto the dashboard. "B-but it was just Razor Sword and I…I came out the winner…you're safe…and…and…"

He then opened the car door and stepped out, feeling himself start to hyperventilate from stress.

**Oh c'jit…this hasn't happened since…since I was little…**

"S-Shinji?" Misato cried as he got of the car. "Are you OK?"

"NO!" Shinji yelled at her from over her shoulder, now angry and struggling to breath. "I…uh…uh… won."

Misato ran over to him as he stood there doubled over, eyes closed and sweat rolling down his face as he sucked in air, placing her hand his back and gently making him kneel, helping him to catch his breath.

"I-I won," Shinji repeated.

"Yes, you won," Misato stated, her right hand grasping his hand squeezing comfortingly. "You saved me."

Shinji felt his breathing relax, "I…I…"

"Yes?" Misato said. "Shinji?"

She made him face her.

"I-I'm sorry…" Shinji said.

"Why?" Misato asked warmly.

Shinji looked like he was going to answer. Instead he just turned his way and lowered his eyes, "Nothing. I'm just tired…"

Misato nodded and helped him onto his feet, smiling, "So am I. C'mon…time for bed…"

They walked one another towards the apartment complex. Shinji briefly looked up at Misato.

**I'm sorry…that I can't tell you what really happened during that chiva, that I fought the clan for rights to you. What saving you from Razor Sword meant for the both of us in front of the clan. I don't want you…to hate me because of it…though it's name only and I won't...force anything on you.**

Maybe I'll tell you…once I know for sure you won't be disgusted by me…and what happens afterward...I'll accept it.

He then smiled lightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Misato.

(SSJNYH)

_A/N: Yeah I'm starting to get romantic, but I want it to develop slowly and, if the plot demands it, painfully and with a side of primal. And with Shinji's first few weeks on the homeworld, I hope I make the outdoor survival portions as realistic as possible._

_That first part: Inspired by the intro pieces of Volumes 1 and 3 of the manga. Didn't imagine Shinji as either poetic, or sentimental, or whatever the word is at the start and end of Volume 3 when talking about Rei._

_What do you think?_

-OMAKE-

_**Could switching to GEICO **_**really**_** save you fifteen percent or more on your car insurance?**_

_**Could Raoh from Fist of the North Star take on the EVA series in a Battle Royale?**_

Surrounded by the blackened, mutilated corpses of EVAs Zero, One, and Four amidst the ruins of Tokyo-03, atop his massive horse Kokuo-go; the seven-foot tall, white-haired colossus of a man known as Raoh, or Ken-Oh (Fist King), shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun as he watched the tiny red blip rapidly fade into the atmosphere. Raoh then flexed the fingers of his right hand and smirked, before making a fist and blowing the smoke away from it.

'One punch and she's this planet's newest satellite,' he thought smugly. 'Damn tsundere.'

He then turned his horse and rode of Tokyo-03 and into the sunset…

_**GEICO: Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.**_

(SSJNYH)

_Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken) belongs to Buronson and Tetsuo Hara._

_I couldn't resist; I've been watching those GEICO commercial on Youtube and I've been reading Fist of the North Star and it beats the hell out any other manga I've read so far. And Raoh deserves to have at least one decent crossover appearance on FanFiction Dot Net._

_And Buronson, he's officially my favourite Japanese manga writer..._

(SSJNYH)

Aseigan – Servant  
Thin'de le'hsaun – Learn the Gift  
Ki – Knife (?)  
Chiva - Trial


	14. Chapter 13: Connections

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue  
**

* * *

Chapter 13 – Connections  


Two days later Class Representative Hikari Horaki of Class 2-A sat in the principal's office, the middle-aged black haired, bespectacled man sitting patiently behind his desk as Hikari read the file. Hikari brushed away the tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes and her head away so that the tears she missed wouldn't fall onto the file that she read on Tokyo-03's Municipal High School's newest student.

Shinji Kasumi

_Sex:__ M  
__D.O.B:__ 06/06/2001  
__Age:__ 14  
__Height:__ N/A  
__Weight:__ N/A  
__IQ:__ Undetermined  
__Mother:__ Unknown  
__Father:__ Unknown  
__Siblings__: Unknown_

_Important. To be Read by School Administrators and Class Representatives. __**FOR THEIR EYES ONLY**:_

Six months ago Mr. Kasumi has been liberated from the militant Japanese extremist group 'Children of Amaterasu', and from statements gathered by Mr. Kasumi he had been part of the group since birth where, starting age 7, was subject to continuous physical and mental abuse. It is undetermined if he had suffered sexual abuse as well as he has so-far refused to disclose if it had happened. He has a total of 16 scars on his body, majority of which located on the torso and each inflicted by a blade, ostensibly through torture ad physical conditioning. This is similar to other cases involving children of Amaterasu cult members who were raised to become militants for the organisation

However this case is more tragic as experimental military grade wrist hardware was fused to his nervous hardware at age ten, consisting of a computer and wrist blades. Attempting to remove them would result in massive cardiac arrest resulting in death.

_When rescued by the JSSDF storming of their main compound, he had to be forcefully subdued after assaulting four soldiers and a nurse, demonstrating exceptional use of bladed weapons, CQC (Close Quarter Combat) and some knowledge on basic firearms. Through continuous, and closely monitored psychotherapy most of his violent impulses have been curbed and he has opened up about his time spent with the cult. Despite abuse, or possibly because of, through medical, physical and psychiatric assessment he has demonstrated impressive physical and mental attributes and abilities including:_

_* Strength equal, and possibly superior, to that of a full grown man_

_* Quick, almost instantaneous, reflexes_

_* Rapid comprehension of new subjects as a means of survival (ie. Learns fast), suggesting above-average to high IQ_

_Despite such a dire upbringing and previous violent behaviour directed towards military and mental health officials upon his rescue he appears to be normal by typical adolescent standards, though his mental states is ruled out as being passive-aggressive. He also has a dry sense of humour, cynicism and tends to be blunt._

As a member of NERV and as part of his rehabilitation, he will be enrolled at Tokyo-03 Municipal High School. It is recommended he be assigned a student guide, preferably the Class Representative, to help him adjust until he feels comfortable.

"So, Miss Horaki?" the principal begun after seeing that Hikari had finished reading. "Will you give him a tour of the place for this week?"

Hikari looked up from the file at the principal, tears still welling her eyes from having read such bitter material about a boy. She nodded.

"Yes. I'll take care of Kasumi-san."

(SSJNYH)

"Shinji **Kasumi**?" Misato stated out loud. "You really want to go by that?"

Shinji glanced at her dangerously, "Is Ikari any better?"

"Touche," Misato smiled. "Kasumi's got a better ring to it anyway."

Shinji nodded, agreeing with her.

**Kasumi…Mist. Nothingness. Suits me.**

"Hey, does this 'Children of Amaterasu' actually exist, anyway?" Shinji crossed his arms. "Reading my own 'file' they sound like they're really, really, bad."

"Yeah, they did exist," Misato answered. "Sad thing is: Nobody survived the JSSDF destroying their compound."

Shinji raised his eyebrows, "Oh….ah. Right."

There was silence between them as they drove through the city towards Tokyo-03's Municipal High School. Shinji was dressed in a black zip-up jumper with a white school shirt underneath and a pair of blue jeans and black shoes. The sleeves were long enough to hide the scars on his arms. His school bag laid at his feet, and soon Shinji was slouching in his chair, once again with a bored expression.

"Shinji?"

"Yeah?"

She frowned, although not all that serious in demeanour, "Let's go over it one last time."

"Fine."

Shinji cleared his throat.

"Don't kill the students. Don't kill the teachers. Don't kill the Class Representative. Don't kill the janitor. Don't kill the nurse. Don't kill the principal…and try not to hurt the school bully too badly," Shinji stated what Misato made him rehearse early this morning. "And when school's out…"

"I expect the building to be still standing and not a hole in the ground," Misato finished for him. She smiled, "We'll head to HQ after I pick you up and we'll begin your first round of sync tests."

Shinji sighed, "Why?"

Misato's smile faded and she appeared serious, "You know why."

"These tests, are they really necessary? I can pilot that monster fine," Shinji said.

Shinji felt bitter when he remembered he agreed to pilot Evangelion Unit-01 for NERV…and for him.

**So much for not doing anything ****he**** tells me. At least this will keep me on the oomans good side…**

He then rolled an eye toward Misato.

…**and hers.**

"These will be standard tests, Shinji. I think we can consider your first victory, not to mention being able to move the EVA, was based on luck." Misato continued.

Shinji shook his head, "I don't believe in luck."

"Yeah, you sure kicked ass without it," Misato muttered. She then looked at Shinji, reassuringly. "You don't have to worry about reliving your worst nightmare or going berserk once we plug you back in. It'll be fine."

"Plug me back in?"

"You know what I mean."

Shinji smiled, touched by her concern. The smile quickly faded.

"Misato."

"Yeah?"

"MISATO!" Shinji shouted out loud and pointed forward at the window.

Misato turned her attention back on the road…and the truck they were about to rear-end. She slammed on the break and luckily only tapped the truck's bumper. Misato was breath erratically, having being given one hell of fright; not from almost crashing her Renault but from Shinji's shout.

"Oh…shit…"

Calm, Shinji noticed her banging her forehead on the steering whee repeatedly, chuckling lightly and breathlessly and muttering 'stupid' over and over again as well as other silent obscenities. Shinji smiled and mentally chuckled.

**And I claimed ****her**** in front of the whole clan.**

(SSJNYH)

Hikari waited on the steps outside the school, her hands clasping her bag in front of her as she waited for Shinji Kasumi to arrive. She almost jumped when a Blue Renault burnt rubber around the corner and skidded to a halt just outside the building. The passenger door opened and out stepped a tall, slightly built adolescent boy with strange arm devices who reached in and fished out his bag, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Three-thirty. Wait for me here. Got it?"

"Yeah."

"See you later, Shinji-kun."

Shinji closed the door and the Renault sped off, watching it depart. Hikari observed him silently, curious.

He turned towards the school entrance, seeing Hikari standing there. His bright smile faded, and Hikari felt her cheeks burn slightly.

'Wow, h-he looks…well built…' she thought. 'Didn't think boys could get muscles like those.'

He walked towards her, and Hikari's eyes widened. For some reason she felt herself entranced by the young man. With the two small scars on his cheeks, the T cross F brand on his neck, the rings in his hair, his slightly toned arms past his sleeves and barrelled chest, not too big but large enough for his bones to handle; no doubt due to the years of physical conditioning as mentioned in his file. Hikari quickly tried not to think about what she had read about him.

And too late she realised, Shinji had walked right past her and into the building.

"Oh…hey…" she called out loudly.

She opened the door.

"HEY, WAIT!" she called out to the boy who had his back to her.

"Eh?"

Shinji spun around to face her. His eyes widened when she realised that a female was talking to her.

"Are you talking to me?"

"Y-yes," Hikari walked up to him.

She then bowed politely, Shinji immediately feeling contentment around her.

"Greeting, Shinji Kasumi," she adopted her professional persona. "Welcome to Tokyo-03 Municipal. My name is Horaki Hikari, Representative of Class 2-A. I've volunteered to show you around the school premises for this week."

An awkward silenced enveloped them. Hikari realised she was look up at Shinji's face and appeared embarrassed.

"Soooo…" Hikari went off. "Shall I show you to our class?"

Shinji nodded, then smiled, "Alright."

Hikari couldn't help but smile back, warmly; and with a red tinge on her face. As she led her temporary charge down the hallway of lockers and passing co-eds (many of whom spared a glance at the peculiar looking new student and whispering). It took all her willpower to make her blush disappear and not look foolish towards the new student, but to her she didn't expect someone who had been through hell to look so well adjusted; blunt, yet well-adjusted. Not to mention cute and well built for his age.

'I think he's a few inches taller than Suzuhara-kun,' Hikari thought.

She then shook her head frowned inwardly.

'What am I thinking?'

(SSJNYH)

"Hey, did'ja hear?"

"What?"

"We got a new kid coming to class today."

"Yeah! I just saw him! Class Rep's leading him right this way!"

Sitting in his seat near the back of Class 2-A and playing with a model of a VTOL Attack Fighter, Kensuke heard the whispers and rumours fly about gunfire being exchanged, and the students uttering them appearing to be in awe.

"Heard he used to be a soldier! You know, one of those child soldiers on the news!"

"Yeah? Wonder if he's seen any combat?"

"He's got the scars to prove it. On his FACE!"

"Badass!"

"Wonder what his body count is? Bet he's a super soldier, trained from birth y'know?"

"Hey someone told me he's from some nomadic tribe in China or Asia or somewhere! Those rings in his air! He's looks like a real savage, man!

"No way! I heard he's actually an alien! That UFO that crashed about a week ago, he actually crawled out of it and self-destructed it right behind him!"

"No friggin' way!"

Kensuke gulped slightly, knowing that wasn't far from the truth.

"Hey, what about people saying he actually piloted that big robot a few days ago and beat that monster to a pulp? Ripped it's legs off an' everything!"

The otaku spared a glance at Touji's seat, noticing for the fifth day in a row he wasn't sitting there. Ever since the battle between the giant robot and the monster he had been absent, and Kensuke wondered if he had either been hurt or even killed during the battle. He then noticed everybody had gone quiet and saw all eyes towards the door.

And there he was…

"ULP!"

Kensuke briefly imagined that light-armoured, hooded and heavily armed alien hunter standing there instead of just Shinji in a jumper and school uniform. He gasped and blinked, before Shinji Curved Blade appeared 'normal', standing right beside Hikari.

Shinji appeared awkward at the silence.

"Uh…hello?" he greeted, waving awkwardly with his free hand.

His eyes lit up when he saw Ayanami sitting at the far end of the classroom, next to the window.

**Ayanami?**

He was saddened to see her covered in bandages, including her right arm in a sling. For some reason, however, he was happy to see her as well.

**I think I could…tolerate school.**

He then noticed another familiar…smiling face.

That bespectacled otaku, Kensuke Aida. He inwardly sniper.

**Or not.**

(SSJNYH)

Once class had settled and the elderly, bespectacled teacher had arrived, Shinji found himself up front, introducing himself…

"Hello, my name is Shinji Kasumi and I just…transferred here," Shinji smiled. "I hope I can be made welcome here."

He looked at Hikari, smile faded.

"That's all I have to say."

"Very well, then," Hikari smiled. "You can sit at the desk next to…"

Hikari paused, realising that Toji wasn't sitting in his usual place. She frowned.

"You can sit over there…" the class rep pointed at a empty table. "Right next to Aida and… just behind where…Suzuahara normally sits."

Shinji caught the annoyance in Hikari's tone of voice when she referred to Toji.

**She sounded bitter.**

Shinji nodded at her. He gave one last smile to the last before walking towards his desk. Along the way he noticed both guys and girls staring at him in admiration, the girls (and even one or two guys) with light blushes on their faces. The ooman Predator didn't miss those, or their whispers…

"Wow, look how tall he is."

"Cutie…"

"…pretty ripped body…"

"Those cute scars on his cheeks…make him look dangerous."

"Are those rings in his hair? They look beautiful…"

"Is that a tattoo on his neck? Holy shit, it's a brand!"

"A brand? No way?"

"Whoa, super soldier much!"

"Is he really fourteen?"

"Wonder if he's killed anyone?"

"Fought in any wars?"

"Wonder if he's…y'know…experienced?

"Yeah, how big is he, you know…down there?"

"Ewww…gross, Aki…"

Shinji blushed lightly with that last whisper he heard. He sat down right next to Kensuke. He looked at his right and saw Kensuke looking back at him, smiling.

"Hey, Shinji."

"…Hi," Shinji responded, hesitantly.

"Rise!"

Everyone suddenly stood up, leaving Shinji the only one still siting. He quickly stood up.

"Bow! Sit!"

After mimicking what everyone else was doing he sat back down, and couldn't help but feel winded.

**Wow…that was…random.**

Shinji then looked over at Hikari.

**She sounded…different.**

Hikari then cleared her throat…

"Alright, let's review this morning's schedule…"

(SSJYNH)

**So for the next half hour the elderly sensei…what Mana would call him, goes on about an asteroid colliding with Earth's polar caps with the force of a intergalatic long rifle and causing what oomans refer to as 2****nd**** Impact. The fallout almost bringing about Earth's destruction with wars, famines, rising sea levels, wars, religious drivel, social unrest and even more wars. By clan definition: Hunting grounds for the next hundred years or so.**

Shinji glanced at his textbook about 2nd Impact, and the official story printed in it.

**I can't help but feel sorry for the old man, and probably everyone else in this room. Mother told me about oomans performing some science experiment on the ice cap…and it blew up in their face times ****infinite****. **

**It sounded funnier when Nam repeated it…and adding the ****infinite times part****.**

The boy became thoughtful…

**I shouldn't be here, trying to pick up what was left over from the last day as a ooman. I don't belong among humans my age. I haven't been one for years. It's so stupid…but for the good of the Clan I'm here…**

He then thought about someone else. He smiled.

…**and Misato. She seemed happy about trying to make me ooman…**

He groaned.

**Ah…I have to stop thinking about her…about trying to stay on her good side! I have to start thinking about trying to keep her away from the clan's interests…and away from me!**

Shinji then snorted. He paused, then sighed.

**The Clan bonding us together…it shouldn't have happened. I have to push her away, shut her out…**

**It'll be better for everyone that way.**

He then glanced over at Rei, sitting there appearing bored as she gave the teacher her undivided attention. Shinji narrowed his eyes at her, curiously.

**Ayanami…**

(SSJNYH)

Stepping into NERV's Test Facility #1, Captain Katsuragi was greeted by the sight of EVA-01 through the observation window as it moved into the testing area from the cages. Technicians went about preparing for it's new pilot's first test this afternoon.

"Captain Katsuragi?" Misato was greeted by the young lieutenant who got up from her terminal, grabbed a electronic datapad and walked up to her.

"Lieutenant Ibuki?" Misato turned her head left and right. "Where's Dr. Akagi?"

"She said she had business in Engineering Sector, ma'am, with the Third Angel's severed arm," Maya replied. "I'm overseeing preparations for the test..."

She then paused, and awkwardly glanced over at her shoulder.

"…testing EVA-01, and the Third Child…"

Misato cocked an eyebrow, "You have reservations, lieutenant?"

"I do," Maya nodded, sounding uncomfortable. "Shinji almost tore the entire city apart on his first voyage. What would happen if he syncs with the EVA again?"

"It'll just be a simple harmonics test to start off with, Ibuki," Misato explained. "We'll find out then if synching him with the EVA when not under threat…"

She rolled her eyes at that.

"…in a controlled, safe, environment. If it doesn't work out, we'll cancel the remainder of the tests and deal with it."

Maya nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

The door into the test facility observation deck to reveal Ritsuko, that air of cold professionalism somehow felt by both Misato and Maya, the two of them turning their heads almost immediately when she stepped inside.

"Lieutenant, captain," Ritsuko greeted them. "Sorry I'm late. Is everything prepared?"

"Almost, ma'am," Maya checked her datapad, tapping a few buttons on it. "I was just going over whatever…risks…the upcoming harmonics test might pose."

Ritsuko appeared indifferent, "At best: the Third Child doesn't sync."

"Worst case?" Misato inquired, crossing her arms.

"We trigger another one of his psychotic episodes and we would be force to put him down," Ritsuko replied, still indifferent. "With force, if necessary."

Misato frowned, "Really, doctor?"

"IF we have to," Ritsuko replied. "Now…where is the Third Child?"

"School," Misato replied.

"Really, captain?" now it was Ritsuko's turn to frown. "An alien-raised feral child among people his own age?"

"He'll be fine," Misato sat down on a nearby chair. "He told me he'll behave…"

She smiled.

"He swore to me he would."

"Of course," Ritsuko stated. "He has a crush on you, after all."

"Wha…wait…what?" Misato's smile faded when she suddenly became alarmed. "What did you say?"

Maya started to become nervous once again when she noticed the negative chemistry between the two women.

"It's obvious from the way he acts around you, not to mention the way he looks at you," Ritsuko continued. "From your rather descriptive report on being abducted by the aliens and the way he defended you in front of them, it sounded like he was claiming you for himself like some drunken rabid alpha male, not just to stop the other aliens from…"

She paused when she saw that Misato was now glaring at her.

"…you get the idea, right?"

Disturbed that Ritsuko would suggest such a thing, not to mention continuously referring to Shinji as if he were some animal, stared at her as if she was insane.

"You're insane, you know that?" Misato said exactly what she was thinking. "And why are we even talking about this?"

"You're right, we shouldn't be," Ritsuko said. "Just make sure the Third is here as soon as school is finished."

"Right," Misato said. "Don't wait up."

Misato got up from her seat and left the observation area. She didn't get a few feet down the hall when she suddenly leaned against the wall when she felt like she was out of breath.

**Yeah, Rits is crazy! She's got some problem with Shinji ever since he slapped he like the bitch she sometimes is. Besides him being half my age, no way Shinji would want to crush on someone like me. He's seen how much of a mess I am at home…he could try harder, like that cute redhead back on his ship.**

She then chuckled mirthlessly.

**Of course. Puberty, interest in girls, adolescent horniness…the first time he looked at me, looked like he hadn't seen a woman in ages. The way he acts like a fairly normal human being around me. He definitely likes me.**

**Ah…if Ritsuko's right, guess I'll have to stop prancing around in my underwear at home. Either he'll grow out of it or…**

She put a hand to her forehead, closing her eyes and groaned in realisation.

…**he'll start to hate me when I start putting him through…hell. Hope it's the former.**

She then opened her eyes, saddened.

**I…I don't think I can handle someone hating me for the first time in my life.**

(SSJNYH)

Before Shinji knew it, class was already over. As he up from his seat, he noticed Hikari waiting for him near the door with a smile on her face. It suddenly faded…

"Yo Kasumi…got a minute?"

"Eh?"

Shinji turned to see one of the boys in the class approach him, walking past the other students that were packing their bags.

"Y'know…" the boy said. "A lot of rumours are flyin' around about you."

"Yeah," Shinji nodded.

The boy smiled, "The ones 'bout you being a soldier, an alien or even the pilot of that big robot. The first two – gotta be bullcrap."

"Err..." Shinji was taken back, he then noticed Kensuke looking over at him. "Um…"

The boy's eyes widened, then he smiled, "It's true, isn't it?"

Hikari suddenly came between them, "Nakihara, that's enough!"

"IT IS TRUE! HEY EVERYONE, KASUMI PILOTED THAT BIG ROBOT!"

"What?"

"Holy crap!"

"He's the pilot?"

Shinji cringed when everyone suddenly crowded around him. Hikari let a small eep when excitable, smiling students pushed past her towards Shinji, immediately firing off questions at the startled pilot.

"How'd you beat that monster?"

"You were a real berserker, man, tearing that thing in half!"

"They chose you because you were a soldier, right?"

Shinji smiled in spite of the attention that had caught him off guard and heaped upon him.

**The last time this happened…**

(SSJNYH)

…**when I was nine, and I just ****earned**** my name and the title ****Unblood****.**

Despite having a left black eye, the arid wind irritating his numerous cuts and scrapes on his arms, legs and torso and feeling like he had sprained his wrist punching the other pup in the face repeatedly, Shinji couldn't keep the smile off his face. The other pups that had been watching the chiva crowded around him. Each of them couldn't believe that a human had bested a pure blooded Yautja pup that had been groomed to earn his name and status as an Unblood on his first chiva and now wanted to express their awe.

"That was awesome, ooman! That last move…you practically phased through him!"

"Didn't think you'd win, Curved Blade!"

"You kicked his ass, Curved Blade!"

"You're a great warrior, Curved Blade!"

"Did Gaun give you that sword, Curved Blade?"

Appearing dazed, Shinji looked at the Japanese tanto short blade he still held in it's sheath in his left hand. He chuckled lightly, soaking up lavish praise and admiration for something he achieved for the first time in his life, enjoying how they were calling him by his new name. A name he embraced, something that actually made him feel like he now truly belonged somewhere.

"Oooooohhh Shinnnnnjjiiiiiii…"

Shinji's smile faded as heard that sweet, familiar voice. The pups all shrunk away from the massive shadow that now covered them. Shinji slowly turned around and looked up, his view of Merl'we's face once again obscured by her large mammaries.

"Or should that be…Curved Blade? C'MERE, MY LITTLE UNBLOOD!"

Shinji yelped when he suddenly found himself lifted off the ground, dropping his tanto, and hugged profusely by the larger female, his face buried in her large chest.

"I'M SO PROUD OF MY CURVED BLADE!" Merl'we practically bawled happily. "That whole week of training from hell…I wasn't wasting my time after all! I'M SO HAPPY!"

If he were older Shinji probably would have enjoyed where his face currently was, but since he couldn't breathe…

"C…can't…breathe…" Shinji made out as he rapidly smacked his hand against her shoulder blade.

"Oh…sorry…" Merl'we giggled. "Down you go."

Shinji sucked in gulp loads of air, quickly recovering from his brief trip into marshmallow hell. Many of the other male pups that had just been watching all appeared flabbergasted at the exchange of affection between Shinji and the Huntress.

Merl'we frowned playfully, "What are you lot staring at? Aren't you going to continue worshipping the ground Curved Blade's standing on! You can learn something from him!"

The Huntress turned around and walked away, leaving Shinji with the other pups; smiling as she saw Gaun waiting for him.

"Was that really necessary?" the older, darker-skinned Huntress inquired, arms crossed….

**Time to return to reality…**

(SSJNYH)

…**and I'm right back here in this classroom, pups the same age as me happy to see that guy who piloted EVA-01 and smashed that monster into the ground.**

"HA! Ya' really think you're somethin', right?"

All heads turned to see Toji Suzuhara leaning in the doorway, arms crossed and very angry.

"Toji?" Kensuke was the first to react. "Where're you been?"

"Oh, Suzuhara!" Hikari frowned upon seeing the traunt. "You've been absent from school for a whole week without permission…"

Toji snarled…

"CRAM IT, HORAKI!"

…and pushed past the crowd of student, practically shoving Kensuke aside and pushing past a startled Hikari, until he was right in Shinji's face plain-looking, genuinely confused face.

"You. Me."

He pointed out the window.

"Outside…NOW!"

"SUZUHARA!" Hikari shouted over at him. "What is wrong with you?"

Still plain-faced, Shinji replied, "Alright."

Almost everyone in class tensed up, none more so than Hikari and Kensuke.

(SSJNYH)

**I'm insane. He's got those wrist things still attached to him and he could just pop those blades out and tear me a new hole.**

**I don't care…**

**I don't care that if he's the deadliest thing on the planet. I don't care if he commands a mighty empire spannin' the entire galaxy or even if he's screwed a hundred hot alien babes…I'm gonna settle this!  
**

**I'm gonna settle this all right!**

The next thing Shinji knew he was standing outside the back of the school building near the bike racks. He quietly stood there with his arms to the side and stared down Toji, who was pacing in front of him some feet away, Kensuke and Hikari standing nearby, both dreading what was to happen next.

Hikari spoke up, "Suzuhara…what's gotten into you."

"I'll tell ya' what gotten into me?" Toji growled.

He then stopped, turned and pointed at Shinji.

"Him!"

"Eh?" Shinji frowned. "What's your problem with me?"

"Besides this monster bruise on my forehead where you head-butted me?" Toji exclaimed, pointing at said bruise. "My little sister! he got hurt pretty bad when that monster crashed into town! Almost lost an arm and took a pretty bad knock to da head!"

Shinji stopped frowned, and now appeared genuinely sympathetic despite the jock's obnoxious behaviour.

"And that was when that big friggin' robot of yours took a tumble onto our block!" Toji then shouted at him. "IT'S YOUR FAULT SHE'S IN A FUCKIN' COMA! ALL THANKS TA' YOU!"

"TOJI!" Hikari stepped up to him. "YOU CAN'T BLAME HIM FOR THAT!"

"Yeah, take it easy," Kensuke put a hand on his shoulder.

"WHY DA' FUCK NOT?" Toji now shouted at them, taking both the class rep and otaku off guard. "EVERYONE SEEMS TO 'AVE FORGOTTEN HE DEMOLISHED PRACTICALLY HALF THE CITY!"

He then paused to catch his breath.

"And they were crowdin' around him," Toji muttered, resigned. "Those girls…bet each of em' want to be da first to ride his…"

"HEY!"

Toji spun around, and felt a chill go up is spine when he saw him glaring his way.

"You have a problem with me, remember?"

"Yeah, I do! Jus' stay right there!"

He then marched towards them, balling his fists.

"T-Toji!" Kensuke exclaimed. "W-what are you…?"

"Now I'm gonna kick yer ass back inta' orbit, spaceman!" Toji smirked.

Alarmed, Hikari yelled, "SUZUHARA!"

She ran in between them, surprising both parties.

"ENOUGH!" she shouted in Toji's face. "Are you trying to get yourself suspended!"

"Outta the way, class rep!" the jock said. "This is between me and…"

"Sorry."

Toji suddenly found himself speechless. Hikari turned around, also surprised.

"K-Kasumi-san?"

"W-what did you say?" Toji stuttered.

Shinji's eyes softened with genuine sorrow, "I-I was going to say I'm sorry about your sister."

"S-sorry?"

Toji gritted his teeth and snarled angrily.

"DAT ALL YOU CAN SAY TO ME, YOU FREAK?"

Hikari shrieked when Toji pushed her out of the way and delivered a left hook to Shinji's face; causing the taller boy to stagger backward. Kensuke was horrified at the sight of Toji's fist in contact with Shinji's face and Hikari just standing there in shock. And that Shinji was probably going to kill him right there and then. Shinji groaned as Toji brought his fist back. He turned to the side and immediately spat saliva mixed with blood, then rubbed his right cheek where it would eventually form a bruise.

"You gonna fight back or what?" Toji dared him. "Bring it on!"

"No."

"What?" Toji exclaimed. "The hell did you s…?"

"No!" Shinji exclaimed back at him firmly.

Toji stopped feeling angry and stepped back some with Shinji now glaring at him. A glare that said 'I'm-Going-To-Kill-You-Right-Now'.

"I won't fight you," Shinji said.

"W-Why?" Toji replied.

"Because you'd DIE!" Shinji exclaimed, no longer rubbing his cheek. "And I killed almost everyone who ever laid a hand on me. And just this morning I promised someone I wouldn't kill anyone."

"Wh…what?"

Hikari was openly gaping at Shinji's calm, non-retaliatory but nonetheless threatening behaviour, seeing him arch his back slightly and moving his shoulder in a way so that he appeared to be ready to lunge at Toji. She then looked at Toji with a glare, but it faded when he saw that Toji had now become afraid of Shinji.

"Don't do that again," Shinji said as he pointed at his wrist device. "Or I WILL kill you."

Shinji then bent over and picked up his school case. He sighed and looked up at the students watching the commotion from the windows. He even noticed Rei watching him, and quite intensely. This puzzled Shinji…

**Ayanami?**

(SSJNYH)

Rei watched the altercation between Ikari/Kasumi and Suzuhara, seeing that Shinji was talking the older jock down, judging from Toji's fearful expression and shaking legs.

**Ikari…codename Third Child.**

**Alias: Kasumi.**

**Almost murdered Commander Ikari.**

**Dr. Akagi told me I should feel…angry…for what he did to the Commander. But I feel nothing…**

She turned and stepped away from the window, expressionless.

**Why?**

(SSJNYH)

**Shit…feel like I'm gonna crap my drawers! Looks like he's ready to kill not jus' me, but everyone that hasn't fled school yet. Thought I was pretty fearless pickin' a fight with da heavily armed, alien hunting super soldier who probably screws hot alien babes but now…**

**Yeah, I'm jus' about ready to crap my drawers!**

Toji blinked a couple of time, before his arms hung completely limp at his sides and he bowed his head as if conceding defeat, closing his eyes and silently praying for this to end. He looked up to see Shinji walking away and Hikari shooting him one contemptible leer before running off after him.

"KASUMI-SAN, WAIT UP!"

Kensuke seized the opportunity to run up to Toji, instead of showing concern for his friend his face was now of contempt for him. Toji looked up at him.

"Hey, why're you…"

"What the hell's your problem, Toji?" Kensuke nodded.

The jock grunted, "I-I didn't… I didn't think he'd…spout…that kind of crap!"

(SSJNYH)

In the nurse's office, Hikari sat in front of Shinji as she examined the bruise and cut on his face.

"You don't need to do this, Horaki-san," Shinji stated, hands on his knees as he nevertheless allowed her to treat him.

"You shouldn't have taken that punch," Hikari groused as she reached for some ointment. "You would have done that pig-headed jock a favour by hitting him back!"

**I already did. And looking back I might have been a bit…overzealous…in reacting to the name-calling.**

Shinji gritted his teeth slightly as Hikari dabbed the ointment on his cut with a cotton bud, "Ah…"

"Honestly," Hikari muttered. "It's the only way to knock some sense into his head…"

**Heh…**

She then paused, eyes briefly scanning the floor. She then looked Shinji in the eyes, taking him back some.

"Horaki?"

"He was right about you being the pilot of the robot, right?" Hikari asked. "I mean…everyone's right about you?"

"Ah…" Shinji didn't know how to answer that.

"And all those other rumours are just rubbish, right?"

Shinji quickly nodded, "The one's about me being a super soldier and a tribal? Yeah."

Hikari's eyes flew open when she didn't hear him include 'space alien.'

"But that means…?"

"I'm the pilot of EVA-01," Shinji quickly added. "That's all I can say."

He then reached over and picked up a band-aid, peeling the cover off and applying it on himself, startling Hikari.

"I'm gonna go get something to eat," Shinji nonchalantly stated as he stepped out of the nurse's office. "See you next class, Horaki."

"Hey wait, Kasumi-san…!"

Hikari exclaimed after him.

"I'm still showing you around, remember?"

(SSJNYH)

**So hours breeze by and I…adjust…to being a 'normal' ooman pup. I still hear people whispering about me and I ****still**** can't decide to be flattered, insulted or even amused. **

**Seriously…I can't.**

**Horaki shows me around the school and I keep getting more stares. And each class, I just sit back, flip through the textbooks and let the sensei talk about the subject: Japanese history, arithmetic, English…stuff I know ****nothing**** about, but it won't take long for me to study up on it. If I can learn how to use a dagger and kill something bigger than me in about a week I can know ****everything**** about the Meiji Period in the same amount of time.**

**I've always been able to learn new stuff quickly…something I guess I picked up during those first two years on the homeworld. Either I quickly learn something new about how to survive or get killed…by the planet or the other hunters, and mother wouldn't be able to fight them all off.**

**School lets out eventually…**

(SSJNYH)

"So is someone picking you up, Kasumi-san?"

"Yeah," Shinji nodded.

As students filed out of the front entrance of the school, Hikari and Shinji merely waited. The boy looked over at the class rep.

"You don't have to wait with me, you know," Shinji said.

Hikari smiled, blushing lightly and clutching her case to herself as if shyly, "I'm…just making sure every one of my classmates makes it home safe. It's the job of the class rep after all."

Shinji looked at her oddly.

**Hey, why'd she blush?**

The screech of tire from far off was heard and second later a familiar blue Renault parked in front of the school entrance, causing Hikari to jump back in fright while Shinji just stood there, the car's front bumper just centimetres away from hitting his knees.

"Sorry I'm late, Shinji," Misato called out from the driver's seat. "Get in."

"Right."

He turned back to Hikari.

"See you tomorrow, Horaki-san."

Getting over the shock of Misato's sudden, abrupt arrival Hikari nodded and dusted her skirt off, "Goodbye, Kasumi-kun."

Shinji blushed, as did Hikari. Misato smirked over at the boy.

"Kun, eh?" Misato asked snidely as she changed gears.

"Let's just go."

The Asphault sped off, leaving Hikari standing there; utterly dumbfounded with herself.

"I…called him Kasumi-kun?" she questioned herself, clearly embarrassed.

(SSJNYH)

Up top from one of Tokyo-03's numerous high-rise buildings it watching events unfold through it's thermal vision, the Predator watching the Asphault depart from the school's front entrance. As it faded into the distance it turned it's attention back to Hikari. It chuckled lightly, and quite evilly before it stepped away from the edge. It then turned around to stare and it's captive prey…

A bound and gagged young woman whose face was bloodied and bruised and clothes that were torn. She struggled in vain against her bonds. She squealed and cried against the greenish tape holding her lips together even louder as the cloaked fiend dragged her behind him towards the staircase and somewhere…private.

If Shinji had noticed the Predator's cloaked outline or noted his behaviour towards the ooman female in it's grasp, he would have realised he wasn't a member of his clan…or even an honourable Yautja for that matter.

'Soon…Curved Blade,' he thought. 'Soon.'

But for now, he would indulge in his favourite past time…

(SSJNYH)

"Hey what happened to your face?"

"Hmm? Oh, school bully."

"I…see. Tell me you didn't cripple him?"

"I didn't lay a hand on him."

"That's… a big surprise."

"Yeah."

**Twenty-five minutes later we're back half-a-mile underground in the Geo Front and NERV Headquarters…**

"Shinji?"

…**and I'm staring hard at the front entrance, my legs not doing what I'm telling them to: Walk through it.**

"Misato."

After getting out of the car the older woman saw that Shinji was just standing the passenger side, staring hard at the door leading out of the parking area and into the main structure.

"You alright?"

"No," Shinji said, sensing Misato walking around the car towards them.

Misato crossed her arms, "What's bothering you? Is it EVA-01? Or your father?"

Shinji frowned over at her. "Both."

**I'd say I hate them equally…but I hate Ikari more. EVA-01 just…disturbs me.**

Misato smiled warmly, "Hey Shinji…"

She extended her hand forward.

"…wanna hold my hand?"

Shinji's eyes widened abruptly with that invitation, "Huh?"

"C'mon, do I really have to repeat myself?"

Shinji stared at her for a bit. He then smiled and accepted it, grasping her hand lightly.

"Nope."

**Warmth.**

(SSJNYH)

So they walked hand in hand through the base until they stopped in front of the male change room. Shinji lightly sighed and let go of Misato's hand and stepped in alone. Shinji looked around and saw that it was similar to the change rooms at school: Benches, showers, lockers…one of which had his name on it. He stepped towards it and opened it.

He then saw it…his plugsuit, hanging before him. It appeared to be slightly bulky, withthe legs and half the torso dark green while the top was coloured black. The top parts of the arms appeared to have been removed and Shinji was intrigued by the red orb that was built into the chest and that his clan symbol was etched just above it.

…**.**

**I'm surprised.**

With a look that spoke of determination he slowly stripped himself…

**Used in conjunction with the Interface Headsets the plugsuit aids the pilot in synchrisation with the EVA. No two plugsuits are alike, as each one is custom-made for its owner's sex, and they will have multiple spares of each. A plugsuit appears will appear bulky at first, but activating a mechanism on the wrist shrinks it to being skintight. The Evangelion's number designation is stamped on the top of the chest.**

Tossing his clothes onto the nearest bench and reached for the suit, and noticing a full length mirror that fitted inside the locker. He saw himself and the amount of scars he had before grimacing. He then started to put the suit on.

**Plugsuits contain various health monitoring devices to monitor the pilot's condition, as well as medical aid such as built-in defibrillators. Plugsuits also have some basic system displays, such as an internal clock that displays how much internal battery power remains in the EVA, located on the back of the hand. **

He looked at himself in the mirror built into his locker and grimaced on how awkward he looked. He then remembered the button on left wrist and pushed it. One hiss later and immediately the suit became airtight and it fit his adolescent-level muscular frame like a wetsuit. He looked at his wrist devices and saw that the parts of the suit cut off on his arms were meant for them.

He then clipped on his black coloured A-10 connectors.

**NERV Technical Handbook, Chapter 10: Pilot Personnel Equipment. Section 1: Dress - Plugsuit: Standard issue for pilots.**

**I leafed through the Technical part in the manual and remembered all of that…**

(SSJNYH)

Flooding plug with LCL…

Shinji closed his eyes, making sure he could only hear himself being engulfed by the liquid. He resisted the impulse to hold his breath once the LCL reached his chin and he only opened his eyes once he was fully engulfed.

Initiating contact. Commencing linkage of pilot to EVA-01.

You ready, Shinji?

"Ready."

Lieutenant?

Pulse and harmonics normal. All green. EVA-01 now activated.

Alright! Commence linkage test.

Within the Synchronisation chamber Shinji sighed as now found himself inside the plug of EVA-01, stretching himself as he laid back in his seat. As he listened to Maya continuously sprouting updates, he just had to ask…

"What am I doing here again?" Shinji asked.

This will be a test to see how well you can synch with the EVA, Shinji, came Misato's voice over com.

"Like I could forget."

Good for you, Ritsuko's cold tone of voice made Shinji frown.

He frowned.

**Wonderful…**

You alright, Shinji? Of course you are! Misato sounded upbeat. Ready?

"What do you want me to do?"

Just relax and…think.

"Think?"

Think about something you like. Something calming. Something thrilling like…God help me…killing something, and we'll tell you if you've made any progress.

"Alright."

We're monitoring your synch ratio from her, Ritsuko explained. Your overall score will determine how strong your connection to the EVA will be. 30% is the start-up index and is required to activate the EVA and for basic movement.

"Uh…" Shinji was confused. "I…"

The higher your score, the better you will be able to pilot EVA., Misato chimed in. Score 50% you can pull off roundhouse kicks. 65%, somersaults. 85%…you get the idea?

"Yeah," Shinji replied. "So…I just…think?"

Yeah. Try thinking pleasant thoughts first. Just close your eyes and…think pleasant.

Shinji sighed, closed his eyes and laid back in his seat.

**Pleasant thoughts…pleasant thoughts…**

(SSJNYH)

"Alright, that got through," Misato smiled. He turned to Maya, "Keep us updated."

"Yes, ma'am," Maya replied. "Synch ratio at 1%."

Misato crossed her arms and watched Shinji on the screen, his eyes closed as he focused, smiling lightly. She watched him intently, trying not to imagine what he could be thinking, though she told him to think 'pleasant' his definition of which could be far from it. She shook her head and tried thinking of something else; and immediately went back to what happened on the alien ship and before Shinji's…family…clan…

…**or whatever. Uh…Rits is crazy, no way Shinji would think I'm someone worth going all alpha male over.**

She smiled.

**Sure, I'm flattered…but really…**

Her eyes widened when she realised…

**Oh shit…what Shinji said about his clan wanting to…to…**

She shuddered lightly, noticed by Ritsuko.

…**I don't know whether to be flattered or terrified that eight-foot tall crabbed face aliens find me attractive.**

"Synch ratio is at 10%."

Misato woke from her train and thought and turned to Maya.

"So far so good," Misato declared. "Shinji?"

"Yes?" Shinji's eyes were still closed.

"What are you thinking about?"

(SSJNYH)

Shinji's smile faded and he blushed lightly.

"Uh…well…"

Don't tell me, Misato added quickly. It'll probably turn my stomach.

Shinji downcast his eyes pensively.

**Thinking about the fact that I haven't scared you off and that you're my only friend on this rock turns your stomach?**

(SSJNYH)

"Synch ratio 11% and rising," Maya reported, smiling lightly. "So far…"

"Hey Rits, about his plugsuit," Misato commented. "I thought we were going for white and blue."

"Think he'd prefer black and dark green," Ritsuko stated. "He'll think it suits him. It will help with synchronisation if he keeps thinking he's a…god forbid…badass."

"Nice of you to think of what he wants," Misato deadpanned. "God…as if those freaks haven't already put him through enough…"

"About that," Ritsuko interrupted sardonically. Misato turning to her. "Just how on Earth did you convince him to continue piloting?"

Misato looked up at the screen, contemplatively.

"I didn't."

"Come again?"

"I thought after receiving that brand he would be eager to go back to where…exactly he comes from and forget about us. He didn't have to kill the Commander to get it," Misato replied, Ritsuko frowning once again upon mention of the Commander.

"What is so special about that brand?" Ritsuko asked.

"I noticed everyone…er…everything else on that ship have the same brand and I guess it's some kind of twisted rite-of-passage," Misato explained. "Shinji looked like he was off his face when he got it and everyone was cheering him on."

She paused, then added with concern.

"Except for the girl."

"Yes, I'm still reading your report. Mana, right?"

"Yes," Misato replied. "Her name and description match missing persons?"

Ritsuko shook her head and replied dryly, "No. No red headed Amazon servant girl by the name of Mana matches any profile on any database in the world."

Misato snorted and took a nearby seat, immediately recalling her appearance and mannerism, "Those monsters moulded her that way, the same way they twisted Shinji into their little killer. God knows what they're doing to her."

Ritsuko appeared disinterested, "You really believe that?"

The captain looked at the scientist and glared, "Doesn't leave lots of room for interpretation. Anyway, back to Shinji…"

She looked back at Shinji's image.

"After we got home I tried asking him about it but he just said he still had things to do, then he went to bed."

"And then you drank yourself into another stupor."

"Ritsuko!" Misato growled.

"It's the truth, isn't it?"

"Bah," Misato brushed her off. "Lieutenant."

"Eee…yes, ma'am," having listened to Dr. Akagi and Captain Katsuragi's banter she was taken off guard when her raven-haired superior addressed her.

"How's Shinji doing?"

"15%, ma'am," Maya replied, sounding flustered. How long should we keep him in there?"

"Give him fifteen minutes, he should be above startup by then," Misato said, arms crossed and staring at EVA-01 in the test chamber. "Then we'll put him through basic manoeuvring."

"Yes, ma'am."

(SSJNYH)

'Nice thoughts, nice thoughts, nice…'

Shinji stopped his train of thought and realised…

**Wow…can you just 'catch' claustrophobia or did I just realise it's like a coffin in here?**

He shook his head, gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.

"No, don't be stupid," he muttered to himself.

Something wrong, Shinji? Misato asked. Your score just dipped by one point.

"Bad thoughts," Shinji replied, then smiled light. "Won't happen again."

(SSJNYH)

"Score just jumped by 4 points," Maya announced. "18%."

Ritsuko took note of Shinji bouncing back, figuratively speaking.

'Misato's definitely in his thoughts,' she thought.

She then thought she would feel better about the Commander using Misato as a leash for Shinji, but she didn't.

(SSJNYH)

Time passed, Shinji still going through memories…

"Shinji-san…"

"Shhh…quiet…they'll here us…"

"I THINK THE BREEDERS ARE IN HERE!"

"C'jit! Stay here…"

SHIINNGGGG!

"CHECK IN HERE…AWWKKK!"

"WHAT? OH SHIT…!"

"GET IT OFF ME!"

…and thought about his encounter with the slaving, whoring Arcturians and what he did to two of them when he was just ten years old.

Synch ratio just jumped to 30%! Maya announced loudly, almost as if she was surprised. Start-up index achieved!

Shinji, whatever you just thought of…hold it there, Misato ordered.

"Alright," Shinji stopped smiling and appeared determined.

Another thought…age 11…

"K-Kainde Amedha…?"

"Correct, Curved Blade. Gaze into the face of your prey."

"I-I'm scared…"

"Good. You know that it can kill you should you falter. Step closer towards it…"

"O-ok…"

SCRAWWWKKKK!

"AH!"

(SSJNYH)

"Synch ratio 34%!" Maya exclaimed.

Misato saw that Shinji wasn't smiling any more and became alarmed.

**Great! He's not making himself relive bad memories, right?**

"Shinji!" Misato called out. "You can relax now. You've achieved 30%."

I'm fine, Shinji shot back. Let's keep going!

"Huh?" Misato was taken back.

**Why he is enthusiastic all of a sudden?**

(SSJNYH)

**Age 12…fight against the demon!**

"ARGGGGGHHHHH!"

CRACK!

"Let's see you get up now, lilum!"

"Awwworgghhhh…."

"HERE I COME! HIYAAAAAHHHHH…"

(SSJNYH)

"Another ten percent increase," Maya announced. "44%!"

"What is it that's exactly going through his head?" Ritsuko queried, rubbing her chin.

Misato studied Shinji's expression on the monitor, noting the slight intensity on his face as he focused, his head bowed slightly as he focused. She looked worried as Shinji continued to put himself through the paces.

**I feel like I should pull him out and tell him that's enough for today…**

**But I won't because he's doing well…**

**Does that make me a terrible person?**

(SSJNYH)

**44%? **

**Halfway there…**

Shinji breathed in and out, feeling his sweat being absorbed by the LCL as he continued to bring up intense memories…

**Age 13…I…NO!**

He gritted his teeth and exhaled out his nose intensely enough to generate bubbles that floated upward. He gritted his teeth enough for them to ache as he felt shame for considering using that bad memory to strengthen his connection to the cybernetic monstrosity he was practically plugged into.

**Don't even go ****there****!**

(SSJNYH)

"55%" Maya reported. She then turned to Misato, looking pleadingly like. "Captain?"

Misato could tell that Shinji almost made himself relive a bad memory just for the sake of upping his synch ratio and decided that it was enough.

"Shinji?"

Y-yeah?

"That's enough. Now relax," Misato said. "Try moving EVA-01's left arm, just how you did it before."

Alright.

Shinji imagined EVA-01 moving it's arm up and down. It immediately bent to his will, moving it's arm up and down.

Eyes lit up, Misato smiled, "Nice. Now try walking."

Shinji/EVA-01 stepped forward, the concussions caused by EVA-01 putting it's foot forward before the other being felt by everyone in the base, more so in the observation area of the test chamber.

**Alright, then…**

"Commence Weapons Test," Ritsuko stated. "Shinji…pick up the Rifle."

Shinji noticed a gigantic rifle shaped like a FAMAS the size of a 747 get rolled into the chamber. EVA-01 bent over to pick it up. Ritsuko didn't give Shinji time to study the projectile weapon in his hand and immediately snapped her fingers at Maya. The tech looked uncomfortable as she quickly pushed some buttons…

(SSJNYH)

"WHOA!"

…and a holographic image of Sachiel, the Third Angel, was generated before Shinji and lunged at him. Shinji gripped the reins and EVA-01 fired from the hip at Sachiel as it fell backwards on the steel ground, the concussions rocking the entire base. Sachiel disintegrated into bytes just EVA-01 back hit the floor, leaving Shinji breathing intensely from shock.

"W-what the…?"

"Shinji! You alright?" Misato cried over the com.

"What was that?" Shinji yelled.

Reflex test, Ritsuko answered. You passed.

RITSUKO! Shinji could hear Misato shout. You trying to bring the whole base down around us?

HQ can withstand internal concussion generated from the EVA, captain. Shinji frowned as Ritsuko explained matter-of-factly. And that proved Shinji's manoeuvring of EVA-01 is…satisfactory.

**She doesn't like me. Wonder if it's because I hit her?**

Time passed…

**Soon I'm blasting virtual Angels in a recreation of Tokyo-03 and I wonder if the one I smashed would have gone down easier if they had given me a weapon from the start. Misato asks me how school was and I just tell her…**

"School's school…I guess."

…**and down the Angel for the fifth time. I get let out half-an-hour later, stinking of this LCL that smells like ooman blood. **

**My blood.**

(SSJNYH)

About an hour later both Shinji and Misato were home, in their new apartment. One day after Shinji came back Misato announced that they would be moving to another part of town, far away from the apartment where two NERV Intelligence Agents were discovered hanging from the ceiling in Shinji's room, skinned and practically drained of their blood which redecorated his room's interior.

It was slightly larger this time, reserved for NERV employees, already furnished and being in the centre of town it offered a pretty good view of the whole city. Shinji and Misato were having dinner in the main room, sitting across from each other. As Shinji quietly ate, he noted Misato noisily guzzling her third beer for the evening, then sighed heavily.

"Something wrong Shinji?" Misato asked after a rather unladylike belch.

**Uh…**

"No," Shinji replied. "Just getting used to the new place."

"Don't fib, Shinji," Misato smiled. "I'm not that drunk. I can tell something's really bothering you."

Shinji sighed, even louder. "Fine, I almost thought about something really bad today just so I can score higher."

Misato's eyes widened, "Huh?"

She then narrowed her eyes and shook her head sadly.

"What?" Shinji responded, irked by her expression. "You wanted over thirty percent, I gave it."

"Yeah, but I…I didn't mean…I just…"

She sighed even louder.

"You not making this easy for me, you know," Misato muttered.

"Huh?" Shinji looked up from his plate just as he was about to resume eating.

(SSJNYH)

**Oh crap…where did that come from? I'm not drunk already am I?**

"I-I mean with being your guardian," she turned red with embarrassment. "And trying to do my job. Aw shit, making yourself relive…"

"Relax, Misato," Shinji deadpanned. "Just bad memories. What happened to me, I'm stronger because of them."

"Really?"

Shinji became silent. When he did respond, "I…I…

Silence was then shared between them, the only sounds were Pen-Pen sucking down his own Yebisu. The two of them just sat there in their chairs, appearing bitter, neither of which knowing what to say next. At least that which was meaningful anyway…

**Rits said he had a crush on me. Good time to check if she's right…**

"Want a beer?"

"Yeah, alright."

(SSJNYH)

Once again spying on him through the walls with thermal vision was Nam, watching from the top of the next high rise building. He snickered lightly…

**This looks interesting…**

(SSJNYH)

About an hour later Shinji yawned and scratched his chin, three cans of Yebisu sitting before him. He looked over at Misato leaning over the across, passed out; about nine cans of beer arranged in a pyramid next to her.

"Urgh…"

"Yeah, first beer always tastes bitter, huh?"

"Meh, I've drunk stronger stuff."

"What?"

"It's true, you know."

"Yeah? Bet you can't hold Earth liquor down."

"Sure I can."

He waved his hand in front of himself, noticing the way they blurred slightly. He was drunk once again, but not half as smashed as Misato was. Shinji studied her intently, recalling the past hour of them sharing drinks, an alternative to talking about what was bothering them.

**Never an alternative…getting drunk that is.**

Shinji recalled Misato slurred speech…

"Ha…hahahahahahahahaha…"

"What?"

"Funny think Rits was talking to me about today…"

"What?"

"That you defended me from all those pussy-faced monsters just so you can have me to yourself."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she's crazy, huh?"

"Uh…yeah."

"I mean…you're still a kid. Plenty of fish in the sea. You can do better than me, right…mean look at me…"

She then started to sound depressed.

"Look at me…only good for a straight fuck and nothing else…just ask the last guy."

This piqued Shinji's interest as she rambled on.

"Gave him every inch of me, just laid back and let him…he still couldn't keep his eyes off those…other girls asses…"

Her eyes had begun to tear up.

"I mean…wasn't I good enough? Aww, Kaji you idiot…

"…."

"Shit, sorry, I swore…but it's the truth, right?"

"…."

"S-sorry. Hic…shit, look at me, talking 'bout my sex life to a minor, how pathetic am I…I'll shut up now…"

And she promptly passed out after that. Fifteen minutes passed and Shinji just sat there, mulling on her words.

**I had my first drink of cn'tlip when I was eleven…blame ****Nam**** for that. I thought he was offering me water from a skin pouch, and I promptly spat it out. That stuff that did go down, though, for a few minutes I was in a warm, comfortable haze I forgot that I had just been in yet another life-or-death situation. Namely being reintroduced to the Kainde Amedha…**

**I've only ever drunk the stuff occasionally, not like Merl'we who holds the record for drinking ten bottles in one night before going under the table. Mother says not to drink the stuff too much, rots the brain she says…**

**Uh…I'm drunk off this ooman pig swill…if Mother could see me now…**

He shivered.

**She wouldn't beat me…she'd beat Nam instead.**

Shinji then turned back to Misato, whom was snoring lightly. Shinji turned to Pen-Pen, the warm-water penguin having not moved from his spot, having instead watched both pilot and commanding officer drink.

"You never noticed anything wrong with her?"

Pen-Pen cocked his head towards him. He then shook his head.

**Like I'm qualified to say**** that.**

He stood up from his seat and begun to walk towards the hallway and his room. He stopped and turned around when he heard Misato groaned slightly, obviously feeling discomfort from lying halfway over the table. Shinji once again sighed and walked over to her. With all the strength he could muster as he frame could handle he gently lifted her up and, groaning with exertion all the while carried her to her room. Using his foot to slide open her door he gritted his teeth as he walked over to her futon and slowly laid her down.

Shinji leaned against the wall, catching his breath. He saw the room and the state of it: Clothes, books and beercans strewn about and they were here for only a day. He looked down and took note of her somewhat half-dressed state as typical of her when off duty: Loose fitting yellow top and short shorts. Misato moaned lightly and instinctively stretched herself, getting comfortable on the futon.

Shinji's eyes widened as she did so, feeling something stirring inside him. He felt warm, his heartbeat quicken and he turned red and looked away slightly. He couldn't deny she was attractive, beautiful even, it was what caught his eyes when he saw her for the first time He tried to put those thoughts out of his mind but having been put under supervision and dealing with her antics ever since NERV got his hands on her, it's been hard.

And being forced to declare her his mate in order to save her from a fate worse from death…

**I couldn't…**

He looked over his shoulder.

**We ****are**** mates-to-be** **in the eyes of the clan. And it's not like she'll remember anything.**

Making up his mind he quietly stepped over to her. He then got down on his needs and gently put his hands on her shoulders. He then inched his face closer towards her and touched foreheads with her affectionately, closing his eyes as he did so.

**I won't tell you what the clan thinks there is between us and I won't act on it. I'd just scare you away. This is the only time I'll do anything…**

He then pulled back, and remembering how oomans show affection he lightly kissed her on the lips. It wasn't a deep kiss, it didn't last for more than a nanosecond it was just a light brush of the lips.

**You are worth more than you think. Mother, Nam and Merl'we thinks so if they want us to…to…**

Shinji then stood up and quietly walked over to her door, giving her one last look, as if it would be the last time he would ever see her, and left the room. He then walked over to his room and collapsed onto his bed, physically and emotionally spent. He moved his hand to his hands and felt moisture

He had almost begun to cry.

**Being close to someone…frightened me that much? I thought I would…hurt her…seeing her passed out, and her acting like she wanted me to…to…**

He shuddered.

**It reminds me of Merl'we, and what that…c'jit did to her…**

He gritted his teeth and really started to cry, remembering what happened to his friend. He sobbed lightly, clutching his pillow to himself.

…**yeah, I'm drunk.**

(SSJNYH)

Gaun watched Shinji's interaction with Misato from the top of another building. She briefly noticed Nam through her tech-vision, before zooming in on the apartment through her thermal vision. She smiled, seeing how Shinji treated his prospective mate.

**Good boy.**

Suddenly her wrist-comp beeped and she flipped it open. She saw that it was proximity alert, another Predator detected, and it's technology was not registered as being owned or manufactured by the clan.

**Trouble.**

* * *

Cn'tlip – Alchol

C'jit - Shit

So Shinji's scared of intimacy, and it involves Merl'we. Wonder what could have happened? All will be revealed…

Seriously, I have no idea how to develop romances, especially involving warrior-indoctrinated alien-raised youths with psychological issues and self-hating alcoholic field commanders…also with psychological issues, but I'm gonna take a shot at it.

Any advice on how I can take this further?

Also I know what some of you are thinking: Shinji shouldn't have taken that punch. I think Shinji showed more strength, not to mention self-control, than snapping Touji in half (and he could do that).

Next chapter – Shinji drawing blood for the first time…


	15. Chapter 14: Training

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_A/N: Sorry this took so long. Curved Blade acting like a (fairly) well-adjusted little boy despite getting smacked around and expected to get used to it and learn from it and develop into the present-day Curved Blade was difficult to write. Do you think I should bump the rating up to M?_

_To __**JPElles: **__Of course. Shinji tearing Gendo's face off proof enough he doesn't take crap from anyone._

_**To SeanHicks4:**__ That's OK. I'll figure it out._

* * *

Chapter 14 - Training (Years 1 & 2, Ages 7 & 8)

* * *

**The first two years: The most painful of my life, physically. With the mental and emotional side of things…I guess getting turned into a living chopping board made me forget about why life on Earth sucked after…Ikari…abandoned me.**

**I thought I would hate Mother forever the first time she scarred me…**

(SSJNYH)

**Year One**

"Where are we going, Gaun?"

"…."

"You're not going…to tell me?"

"…."

"O-ok then…"

Young Shinji shivered nervously as he followed Gaun down the familiar path beside the creek leading downward from their cave. His huntress guardian, on the other hand, was the picture of perfect, emotionless determination crossed with stoicism. She looked over her shoulder at the ooman child, whose head was bowed as his eyes scanned the ground.

It was only yesterday that Shinji agreed to allow her to teach him how to defend himself should those youngling bullies cross his path again, not to mention anything else that sought his blood. She made sure he was dressed adequately for their first training session: Little steel spaulders, elbow and knee plating complimented the loincloth he was wearing and the dagger that was attached to his belt.

However it contrasted with his freshly cut short hair, Shinji having indicated to her that he wanted it cut and Gaun complied. It took all of Shinji's willpower to not shake with fear as she was using a sharp blade normally reserved to impaling people rather than a relatively safer pair of scissors. And now the ooman was following her to learn how to use the dagger given to him.

**Either he learns how to master the blade, or die at the wrong end of it.**

Gaun led her charge down up from the path towards an area near the creek where there was plenty of flat terrain, but still surrounded by rock. Shinji saw that the area was slightly battle damaged: cracked rock wall with plasma markings and rusted speartips sticking into them, green non-glowing blood on the dirt ground and impact craters.

**This is where I trained my previous two apprentices. All the damage seen here, the dried blood caked on the rock, the second one was a fast, if slightly overenthusiastic learner. If I train this one correctly, he may very well completely shatter the rock surrounding this clearing.**

"Shin-ji!"

(SSJNYH)

Shinji looked up from the ground as Gaun called to him. He saw that she was frowning at him, before pointing a finger at him, then with a two fingered-prong she pointed at her own orbs; clearly indicating _look at my eyes, always make eye contact_.

**Okay, I…I won't stare at my feet. I'll…look you in the eyes…**

Shinji did so. Gaun tilted her head at him indicating curiosity, then walked towards him. She pointed at the dagger on his belt, before slowly reaching forward and drawing it from its sheath.

"Can you understand me, Shin-ji?"

Shinji almost jumped when he understood Gaun's clicking mandibles. He tried to respond…

"Y-yes."

It hurt his throat as he mimicked the clicks using his vocal cords. Those clicks, grunts and other assorted throaty noises that he had studied from listening to Gaun constantly talking to him in the alien language. For the whole of the first month he's being here she kept talking to him as he went about his activities. He retrieved water in a bucket, Gaun would speak to him. The next time he retrieved water, she would say that exact phrase to him. He immediately realised that what sounded like 'ack-click-click-grrr' meant 'Bucket full of water.' Or something similar, anyway?

And that was how Shinji studied the _language_. He did something mundane, Gaun would point it out. He would reach for something, Gaun would make two clicks and it would mean 'reach'. He would dust himself off, a low hiss and a click, it meant 'you dusted yourself off' and so on. And it would be up to the ooman child to piece the grunts and clicks together to speak for himself.

And to his credit he was a fast learner.

_A/N: Make sense?_

"Are you familiar with your own thwei?" Gaun took his left hand as she spoke.

"My…my thwei?" Shinji queried, carefully pronouncing the word.

His breath caught in his throat when suddenly Gaun ran the blade across the length of his hand, cutting it and drawing blood. Shinji gasped, turned white as a sheet and immediately felt light-headed and like he was going to pass out, seeing the person that was looking after him for some time hurt him that way. He was just about to topple over backwards when Gaun grabbed him by his arm and held him up, preventing him from collapsing.

**W-why?**

"Look!" Gaun hissed rather harshly. "Do you see your own thwei?"

Shinji felt tears well in his eyes, realising she meant _his own_ _blood_. He sobbed, "W-why are you…?"

He felt Gaun's grip on his arm tighten. She reiterated harshly, "Do you see?"

The tears now flowed from his eyes. He cried, "Y-yes, yes!"

"You will see much of your own blood as I train you, Shin-ji," Gaun stated, letting Shinji go and letting him fall to the ground, tears running down his face and blood running down his hand and arm as he slowly went into shock. "Shed tears and go into shock this one time only, ooman…"

Shinji continued to hear her word just as he was passing out.

"…your survival counts on your willingness to spill blood…and to lose it!"

**W-why?**

**Daddy, please help me…**

**Mommy?**

(SSJNYH)

Night fell. Shinji stirred as he felt the fire warm his face. He woke up with a start…

"G-GAUN!"

"I'm here."

Shinji turned to see Gaun sitting standing beside him, looking down at him as she appeared to be mixing something hot and steamy in a bowl with a metal spork. Shinji looked up fearfully at the Huntress that hurt him, the drew his blood, that now frightened him.

Gaun sensed this.

"Give me your hand."

She put the bowl down and extended her hand towards him. Shinji looked at his left hand to see that it was bandaged with a teal-looking sutre. He cautiously extended his hand towards her, who took it and removed the fabric. Shinji almost felt like he was going to pass out again when he saw the still open, bloodied wound.

He closed his eyes.

**No! Don't look, don't look…**

"Open your eyes, Shin-ji," Gaun commanded. "This is your next lesson."

He slowly opened his eyes and hesitantly looked up in Gaun's eyes. She then reached for the bowl and scooped out what appeared to be glowing blue paste. Shinji's eyes widened when Gaun moved it towards his wound. Shinji was about open his mouth when Gaun frowned.

"Your next lesson is _Pain_."

Shinji thought his vocal cords had almost burst, he screamed _that_ loud as Gaun applied a generous dollop of the stuff onto his wound. Tears were once again pouring down his face and the Huntress let go of him so that he fell to his knees, clutching his burning, bleeding hand. Eyes closed tightly, he tried to suppress his sobs for fear of disapproving Gaun.

**It hurts! IT HURTS!**

Her arms crossed Gaun watched as Shinji knelt there clutching his left hand and sobbing quietly. After a couple of minute Gaun tossed him a cloth.

"Wipe your hand."

Shinji picked he cloth up from the ground and turned it over He slowly opened is hand and wiped the gunge off his hand, revealing his wound was closed, leaving a scar surrounded by reddened skin. Shinji looked up at Gaun bewildered and teary-eyed.

"W-what?"

"Pain can be felt in healing just as much as receiving it from your enemy," Gaun stated. "Pain is something that is felt in everyone, every day. And not just what the body feels…"

She frowned.

"But in the mind and soul."

This was lost to Shinji, "I-I don't…"

"You will feel much pain during your time spent here," Gaun continued. "And quite possibly for the rest of your life. It is unavoidable. Your blood will spill; your bones will break…"

Shinji's lips quivered, fearful.

"…you will lose friends, your loved ones, you may even lose me."

Shinji felt tears well in his eyes again.

"At times you _will_ lose your confidence, your self-esteem, your sense of worth, even your will to live. But one thing…"

She sounded confident, not to mention determined.

"…you will not lose – is _your life_."

"M-my life?" Shinji asked, wiping his eyes.

She squatted before him and grasped him by both sides of his face, delicately. She peered in close, looking dangerous.

"I will train you, in using our weapons, in the ways of the Hunt," Gaun hissed. "I will make sure you can protect yourself. To protect others. I will give you the will to inflict pain on others, to take their lives if necessary, to make trophies out of them. I will give you the opportunity to makes something of yourself…"

She clicked her mandibles loudly.

"…what you were unable to do back on Earth."

Shinji swallowed and stared at her questioningly.

"I only needed to look in your eyes when we first met to see that your life had been grounded down, Shin-ji. That you had nothing to look forward to once your childhood ends," Gaun continued. "Your life as an ooman pup ends now. Earth will be a shadow. Whatever ties you have left on Earth will be eventually severed…by your own hands. Your years as my apprentice will be best years of your life."

She glared.

"Answer me truthfully…_Do. You. Understand_?"

Shinji was still. He then nodded.

**I understand.**

Gaun smiled warmly for a Yautja, "Good pup."

She then pinched him in the familiar place on his neck. He immediately felt light-headed and he fell unconscious.

"Sleep."

**I…I don't exist anymore…**

(SSJNYH)

Many hours later the sun rose again. Shinji slowly opened his eyes and yawned loudly. His eyes widened, he gasped loudly and sat up in a flash as he remembered the events of last evening. He looked around frantically, he immediately calmed down when he saw Gaun sitting up against the rock wall, asleep. He yawned again, before being jolted by his rumbling stomach.

He stood up, rubbing his aching back and looked around. No edible vegetation around this area, but they were camped next to the lake, and that swimming with those mutant looking fish. Shinji felt himself salivating at the thought of eating cooked fish for breakfast. However he sadly turned towards Gaun and saw that she was _still_ asleep.

He sighed…

**She'd want me to catch myself breakfast.**

He then shivered…

**And I'm scared to wake her and ask her for help. Then again…**

He faced the lake, eyelids half-closed in contemplation.

…**she'd be happy if I can catch food for **_**both**_** of us.**

Gathering his courage he moved towards the water, drawing his blade. He squatted before the lake and saw some fish swimming upstream. He then scratched the back of his head.

'How am I gonna catch fish without a fishing pole?'

He then noticed one of the fish swimming very close to the edge where he was squatting. His eyes widened.

'No way,' he thought. 'If I fall in I'm done for.'

As if to belay his attempts at self-reasoning his stomach rumbled again. Shinji frowned and readied his blade, pointing it towards the water to impale the next fish that swims close to the edge. He looked to his right to see a fish about to swim past. He plunged the dagger into the water and impaled the fish. Shinji smiled, victorious. Before…

"WHOA!"

…the fish struggled fiercely against the blade sunk inside it and Shinji gave a cry of exertion as he lifted the blade with both hands, bringing the fish out the water still struggling and flapping about. Shinji reached for it so that he could slide the blade out of it and let it drop to the ground. He quickly changed his mind and moved his hand back when it almost snapped his finger off.

"AH!"

So he opted to just shake the blade more fiercely than the fish struggled until it managed to drop off his blade and land the ground, which then proceeded to bounce up and down. It bounced upward at Shinji and he instinctively swung the dagger and sliced it across the face, splattering bluish blood on the rock and on himself. It fell to the ground, still and harmless.

Shinji studied the fish.

**That wouldn't be enough to feed both of us. I should catch another…**

**For me.**

He turned back to the lake, readying his blade to catch another fish. He then heard brief whistle of air and turned around to see a spear hurtling down towards at him.

"WHAAA!"

He shrieked and moved his foot out of the way just as the spear hit the dirt. Breathless, he looked to see Gaun was up and awake, leaning against the rock wall with her arms crossed and staring at him intently. Shinji caught his breath and gulped lightly, trying to calm himself. He turned to the spear and reached for it. He gripped it and pulled it out of the dirt, comically hopping back on one foot; not having anticipated how light it was.

'It's light,' the boy thought.

He held the spear with both hands, pointing the business end at the water. Seeing a fish swim past he thrust it forward and caught one. His eyes widened and he couldn't help but smile and laugh in triumph as he lifted the spear upward, proudly showing off his catch. However it was then that he felt the spear's weight…

"Uh…UH…WAHHHHHHH!"

…and begun hobbling backwards into the lake and falling into the water, still holding the spear. Before he could sink, however, he felt something grab him by the foot and lift him back up, spluttering water. He then found himself face to face with Gaun, upside down.

Shinji let go of the spear, the Huntress grabbing it with his right hand as she held Shinji upside down by the leg.

"G-Gaun!" Shinji exclaimed, all wet and embarrassed. "G-gomen…"

Gaun was not amused, "Besides not feeling the need to blatantly celebrate every time you accomplish something…you need to learn to swim."

She then peered in close.

"You understand me?"

Shinji nodded vigorously. Gaun let him go and he landed on his back in the dirt.

"OW!"

(SSJYNH)

**The ooman feeds himself. He will need the strength.**

**Time for him to learn the blade in earnest.**

After devouring an entire cooked fish for breakfast Shinji found himself standing in the centre of the rocky enclosure, his guardian and teacher standing before him, arms crossed.

"Your blade, Shin-ji," Gaun pointed at the dagger at his hip.

Shinji looked at it, then back at the Huntress. He then nodded and drew it with his right hand, holding it at his side.

"You are right handed?"

"Yeah," Shinji replied.

Gaun nodded in understanding. "Grip the handle with both hands and point the blade towards me."

Not hesitating, Shinji did so.

**No hesitation. He **_**is**_** listening.**

"Move your left leg forward."

Shinji complied. Gaun nodded, seeing some resemblance to a proper battle stance.

"Don't move."

Gaun circled around him, then reached for his hands, which gripped the blade, and adjusted them so that the pointy end was facing straight forward and not at an angle.

**Improvement on that comes later. He must still get used to the sight of blood.**

Gaun resumed her position in before Shinji."

"Good. Now we will practise the art of _Jehdin Jehdin_…"

She glared, chilling Shinji to the bone.

"I want you to try and stab me."

"What?" Shinji uttered, shocked.

"Attempt to strike me with that dagger," Gaun ordered. "Draw my blood upon the ground."

"Uh…"

Gaun frowned, "If I thought you could kill me, I would not ask you to. NOW…"

She roared at him.

"…ATTACK!"

(SSJNYH)

Shinji closed his eyes and thrust his dagger forward towards her. He opened his eyes when he found himself being flung over and above Gaun and landing on his chest…

"OFFF!"

…dagger still in hand. Feeling like he had bruised a rib he got up and spun around, Gaun already facing him with her arms crossed. Shinji's saw that her left pointer and thumb were bleeding slightly and eyes widened when he realised…

**Sh-she grabbed me by the blade and she…flung me over.**

"Again!" Gaun exclaimed. "And open your eyes this time. It insults me to think that I am attempting to train a coward."

Shinji's eyes widened when she referred to him as a coward. He swallowed and adopted the fighting stance.

"RAAAAAHHHH!"

He cried out and lunged forward at Gaun, the Huntress dodged him by stepping to the side. He glared, not wanting to be beat he switched is hold on his dagger to his left hand and quickly turned toward Gaun's direction and swung the dagger…

**I'M NOT A COWARD!**

"YAAAHHHH!"

…Shinji cried out viciously as he sliced Gaun across her arm. The Huntress didn't so much as grunt, her glowing green blood trickling down the cut and onto the ground. Shinji realised what he had down and dropped the dagger.

**I-I did it. I-I hurt her…**

His eyes begun to water.

**I-I bled her…**

(SSJNYH)

**Time to bring him **_**back**_**…**

Shinji didn't notice that Gaun had drawn her own dagger. He looked up, teary eyed, to see Gaun snarl and lunge at him, blade primed. He cried out and attempted to drop sideway out of the way, only to get sliced diagonally across his chest where his heart was to his shoulder. Shinji fell to the ground, his blood spilled on the ground and mixing with Gaun's. He looked up, terrified at the Huntress that now appeared bent on killing him.

"S-sorry…" he croaked.

Still frowning, Gaun asked, "What?"

"I-I'm sorry I…cut you…"

"Shin-ji," Gaun grounded out. "I _asked_ you to cut me."

"B-but…"

"And now you know …"

She got down on one knee and pointed a finger at the wound she inflicted on him.

"…to show emotion, or to hesitate, could mean either a scar, or your life."

"W-what?"

It was a pitiful sight, seeing the bruised, bleeding and crying Shinji lying there. Gaun inwardly sighed.

**Once more. This is his last chance…**

"Your prey will not appreciate your tears when you draw their blood," Gaun stated. "You hesitated, I took advantage. You understand?"

Shinji's eyes widened. He understood.

"Y-yeah…"Shinji nodded. "I get it…"

He moved his hand towards the wound on the shoulder. I wasn't cut deep enough to cause serious damage but it _was_ deeper enough it would still leave a scar. It would be the second one that Gaun had inflicted upon him. Shinji gritted his teeth as the pain begun to settle in.

"Get up."

Gaun stretched her hand and Shinji took it, immediately begun hoisted up back on his feet. Gaun studied the little ooman, all bruised and bloodied with tears still in his eyes, but giving her his full attention.

The Huntress cracked her knuckles.

"Continue. Cut me again. Dtai'k-de!"

Shinji wiped his eyes and gripped the blade two-handed. Determined, he thrust his dagger forward, Gaun dodged his blow and countered, swinging her own blade. Shinji screamed and swung towards her, knocking her dagger out of her hand and slicing it, drawing more of her blood. Shinji felt the tears begin to well again with the knowledge that he hurt her.

Gaun snarled again and balled her right hand into a fist and brought it towards Shinji. The boy saw that is and moved his head to the side and dodge her blow, gripping the blade tightly and thrust towards her torso. Gaun moved herself so that his blade only skinned her abdomen. Gaun smirked.

**He saw my fist. He did not give in to despair.**

She saw that Shinji was still alert, looking up at her and glaring, his blade still in hand and ready for her next move.

"Good," the bleeding Huntress praised him.

Shinji relaxed and stop glaring.

"There is hope for you…RARGGGGHHHH!"

Gaun then roared, attempting to catch Shinji off guard. It worked, Shinji dropping the blade and falling onto the ground, stunned. She frowned, seeing the tears still welling in his eyes.

"_Always_ stay on alert, Shin-ji," Gaun said. "With me, do not expect praise for your accomplishments. Now get up…"

She looked at the wound on her arm.

"…and we'll tend to our wounds."

Shinji wiped his eyes, sniffled slightly, and limped after her…

(SSJNYH)

**For the rest of the day I learn about Jehdin Jehdin, fighting someone up close. Gaun shows me how to use the blade. How to attack, how to block, where to strike so I could kill something quicker (it's usually in the neck), and every time I do something wrong she clips me across the ears. I cut her another three times, she cuts me another **_**four**_** times.**

**I think the day was pretty short because the sun went down in no time…or was it because I passed out again.**

"Ow…"

Bandaged up across his chest, midriff arms, legs and forehead, Shinji sat in front of the fire eating S'pke from a clay bowl. His eyes lit up when he first tasted the fruit stew and immediately forgot about the pain he was in. It didn't last. He looked over at his guardian, having finished eating and now just lying against the cave wall, resting her hands beneath her head and taking a light nap.

Shinji downcast his eyes as he pondered…

**We were just fighting each other, cutting each other…hurting each other, and it didn't feel a big deal. This isn't right…but…why? I-I feel bad that I hurt her…and it feels wrong to feel bad…**

**Is-is this what's going to keep happening to me from now on? That I don't know how to feel about…anything?**

(SSJNYH)

**Year Two**

**I didn't hate Mother the first time she scarred me, or even after the second me. Maybe it was because it was part of life on the homeworld and I knew I had to get used to it. Maybe it was because I didn't want to make her think I was useless to her. **

**Or maybe…maybe because she was all I had. Maybe she was someone who had a genuine interest in me as a person, and didn't think I was a burden.**

'**You're being difficult.' Those were his last words, those last **_**FUCKING**_** words (pardon my language) **_**he said **_**before he dumped me with my uncle and his wife. I never knew if they were from his side of the family or from my bearer's. I never asked. They treated me like I was burden. No abuse or anything like that…but they made me feel like a burden to them.**

**I don't blame them. C'jit, I don't blame me. Before Mother, I was nothing.**

**Before Mother, before Merl'we…**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji gritted his teeth and looked as fierce and intimidating as an eight year old ooman boy could get as he defended against blow after blow from Gaun's dagger which practically rained down on him from above. Gaun's look of ferocity matched his, as if she was trying to kill him.

Shinji snarled and sliced Gaun across the hand, forcing her to drop her blade. He then threw himself towards her, dagger ready to strike her across the chest. The Huntress, however, shot her left hand forward and grabbed him by the face, her palm covering his mouth.

"Mmmph!"

She then shoved him backward and he fell to the ground on his back. Shinji rolled to avoid Gaun's wrist blade that pierced the stone, grabbed his knife and swung it towards Gaun's face...and stopping just short of her left eye.

Shinji felt the adrenaline wear off and realised that during this training session he had slashed Gaun five times. Shinji painfully got up the floor, wincing slightly from the pain and came close to tears as he looked down apologetically at Gaun.

"I'm sorry," Shinji said. "I-I almost got you in the eye. I didn't want to."

Gaun sighed…

**It was not going to be easy.**

…but nodded, "I appreciate that. "

She then suddenly reached for her dagger and swung at Shinji. Shinji still looked apologetic but he wasn't caught off guard. He blocked Gaun's strike. Gaun frowned and got up from the ground and stood before Shinji, allowing him to see the one slash across her abdomen, two slashes across her chest above her breasts and the slash on her left and right arm, and finally the one on her leg.

Looking down at himself he came close to looking like a chopping board himself. A dozen grazes, light cuts, bruises and welts covered his slightly toned bodyguard. Toned as much as an eight-year body could handle, with the muscles on his arms and legs considerable tighter and harder, and the remaining of baby fat on his body starting to burn away earlier than usual.

Gaun studied him…

**A year and a half of continuous physical training has brought out as much as he can handle…for now.**

**Time to move on…time to train him in **_**other**_** areas.**

"Shinji?"

"Yes?"

She sheathed her blade and extended her hand towards him. His eyes widened at the gesture and he took it. Immediately he was hoisted upward and was made to sit on her right shoulder.

"G-Gaun?" Shinji was startled by this act of kindness as they returned back to their gave.

Gaun said nothing.

(SSJNYH)

Once again tending to his own wound, Gaun beckoned Shinji…

"Follow me."

Shinji looked up and immediately followed her. He realised…

**She's leading me deeper into the cave. She always made sure I never went deeper than outside the entrance and my room.**

Shinji followed Shinji deeper into their cave, guided by those glowing pods growing in the side. They then stopped at what looked like a steel mechanical case. Gaun looked at Shinji contemplatively, then brushed her hand across a triangle-shaped scanner. The machinery inside the clicked and whirred and it opened, revealing…

"Whoa!"

…an arsenal of neatly stacked, cleaned, shiny and overall maintained Japanese bladed weapons from tallest to smallest. Staring with the large nodachi and followed by the naginata speak weapon there were several katanas, wakizashis, tantos and one kunai. Shinji stared wide-eyed at the collection, vaguely recalling once seeing such deadly, ooman weapons at a museum.

'Vaguely'…

**I-I can't remember anything about that day me, uncle and auntie went to the museum where I saw all those swords. Seeing these swords here **_**reminded**_** me that **_**I**_** did go to a museum…but…I can't remember anything about it.**

**Weird.**

Standing beside him with her arms crossed, Gaun explained, "Me, my sire, his sire and his sire over a period of four hundred cycles had hunted the oomans of the islands known as Japan, particularly those of the warrior caste known as 'Sam-u-rai.'"

"The Samurai?"

"Yes," Gaun looked down at him.

She then reached forward and drew out the nodachi with a loud SHIIINGGG. Shinji held his breath as she held the blade with one arm and studied it.

"A trophy claimed by the sire of my sire," Gaun commented, running a finger across the blade. "He described the one he claimed it from as strong, skilled, and honorable, far above any other ooman he had hunted in his lifetime. Those were his last words before the Cetanu claimed him through is wounds ."

"The Samurai killed him?" Shinji asked.

Gaun nodded and put the nodachi back in it's sheath. "Yes. It was a matter of honor, between the ooman and my sire's sire. Their code, what they called Bushido, was at odds with our code and so it was settled…amicably. You, Shin-ji…"

The boy looked up at her, tensely.

"You are descended from Samurai. So it is fitting that you be given a blade forged by your people…"

She reached forward and pulled out a tanto short sword in it's sheath. She then handed it to Shinji and he accepted it without hesitation. The blade which was half his size felt light in his hands, sheath and all.

"Will we be training more today?" Shinji queried.

"No,"Gaun said.

"Huh?"

He followed Gaun out of the cave.

"I have trained you as much as your body can take at the present moment," Gaun said. "More training would mean additional punishment on your body; punishment it cannot handle right now."

**How come I don't feel…glad about not getting any more training? What's wrong with me?**

"It is time for you to be trained in your _senses_."

"Senses?"

"There is more to being a hunter then just knowing to handle a blade and how to draw blood," Gaun continued. "Before you will be permitted to take your first life…"

Shinji's tensed up about the prospect of killing _something_.

"…you will be made to know if _that_ first life will attempt to kill your first. Either from behind or anywhere else that is not right in your field of vision," Gaun stated. "Do you under…?"

"Yes," Shinji answered, cutting her off.

Gaun smiled inwardly, the boy never cutting her off like that.

'He _does_ understand me,' Gaun thought. 'Good.'

"Any questions?"

"Yeah," Shinji looked up at her. "When…do we start?"

"Tomorrow," Gaun said. "For now, pup…."

She looked down at him, gently.

"For you, you rest."

Shinji's looked up, and thought he saw genuine affection in her eyes as she looked down at him. He blushed lightly and smiled shyly, looking down

His eyes then widened and his smiled faded when he realized...

**Did…did she call me pup?**

(SSJNYH)

The next day Shinji was spear fishing, all the while he couldn't stop thinking about how Gaun was going to 'train his senses.'

'**Coming at me from behind or anywhere that is not in front of me?' Did she mean if something tried to sneak up on me?**

He kept thinking about that as he put his caught fish in a bucket. As he trekked back to the cave…

**I do remember something about Samurai learning other stuff besides knowing how to use a…**

THOK!

"OW!"

Shinji fell flat on his face, having being struck on the head from behind. The bucket toppled onto the ground, the still moving catch jumping out of the bucket. Shinji groaned as he felt the back of his head, and quickly rolled on his back to see whomever had just attacked him. He gasped lightly…

"G-Gaun? Hey…"

The masked Huntress standing before him and holding a wooden rod was eight-feet tall with yellow skin with green speckles and dreadlocks all the way down to her waist. She had her bio-mask on, fully armed and was dressed in an exotic manner pertaining to females of the species including armor and mesh.

"You're not Gaun!"

It wasn't just the fact she was slightly shorter, had more a feminine shape and had a different skin color that Shinji noticed, it was also the size of her breasts. They were definitely larger than Gaun's. Obviously the Huntress saw that he was staring at her chest and sounded like she was offended and roared towards him. Terrified, Shinji grabbed his empty buckets and took off like a flash.

The Huntress watched him run, and smirked behind her mask.

(SSJYNH)

Shinji hand was against the side of the cave wall as he held himself up while trying to catch his breath.

"Shin-ji!"

The boy's head raised by itself instinctively when he heard Gaun's voice call to him from behind. He turned to face her, her arms crossed in disapproval.

"Where is the fish I sent you to catch? "

"I...I…"

"Go back and get them."

"But I…yes, Nyaka-de."

He set off back to where he had dropped the fish. He eyes lit up with realization.

'**Go back and get them?' Did she know that that Hunter would ambush me?**

(SSJYNH)

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzz…."

That night Shinji was fast asleep beneath his blanket on the moss.

THOK!

"OWWWWW…PAUK!"

Shinji shot up rubbing his sore head, eyes closed.

"What the…? Who…? WAAAGHHH…!"

Shinji cried out when he saw that same Huntress from earlier towering above him, holding her wooden rod. She snorted down at him before turning around and walking out of Shinji's part of the cave and outside. Still rubbing his head, Shinji followed after her…

"HEY!" he exclaimed after her, now feeling angry. "Why'd you…?"

She had seemingly disappeared from sight when Shinji reached the entrance of the cave.

"Where?" Shinji muttered to himself.

"SHIN-JI!"

The boy looked over his shoulder as Gaun called out to him.

"Go back to sleep!"

"Hey, but I…" Shinji stammered.

He was met by silence. Shinji then sighed.

"Yes, Nyaka'de."

However he didn't sleep for the rest of the night, sitting up on his moss on alert, clutching his tanto to himself.

**I heard somewhere that Samurai had a sixth sense, they sensed anyone that tried to sneak up on them. Gaun says I'm descended from Samurai…**

Shinji gulped, feeling scared.

**Am I really?**

(SSJNYH)

The next day just as the sun was about to set, as he sat off to pick wild vegetables…

**Aww…I did swear last night. I…**

…Shinji stopped daydreaming and instantly became alert to his surroundings, eyes scanned all over; keeping an eye out for the crazy Huntress that was stalking him, whom Gaun was seemingly turned a blind eye to. He then sat off to where he and Gaun grew the wild vegetables which was located a few yards to the east of their cave. He then heard something materialize loudly behind him and his first instinct was to suddenly dive into the creek.

He surfaced a few second later, sputtering. He saw that same stalking busty Huntress, _sans_ her wooden rod. The Huntress looked down at him and snorted, this time mockingly. She then walked away, leaving Shinji dumbfounded.

**She…didn't have her rod with her this time. Aww…**

He then realized she hadn't been a threat to him. That was followed by a _grand_ realization.

**Gaun said to know when something would try to sneak up on me. That other hunter was just testing me. **_**This**__**time**_**, she wasn't going to hurt me and I should have seen that coming instead of just diving for cover like a coward…**

He grimaced and climbed out the creek. He cursed lightly…

"Pauk."

…when he realized he was wet and the cold season was upon then. He then mentally slapped himself.

**AH! I swore again…I'm the lowest!**

(SSJNYH)

An hour later when night fell and the stars were out he was still some distance from the cave. Shinji sneezed lightly and shivered as he struck two rocks together against twigs mixed with desert grass as he tried to start a fire. He smirked when he saw the sparks and struck again harder, lighting them up and getting the fire ago. However the moment the fire blazed he felt another kind of coldness in the back of his spine.

**HER!**

He growled, reached for his tanto and drew it as he spun around, slicing the wooden rod in two just as was about to strike his head. Placing his right palm under the hilt he rapidly thrust the blade upwards until the point touch the Huntress' chest.

"YOU CAN'T GET ME THIS TIME!" Shinji exclaimed angrily.

The Huntress stared down at him. Shinji's angry expression disappeared when she spoke behind her mask…

Her voice sounded muffled behind her mask, "Awww…you finally noticed me. I was starting to worry."

"Wha…?"

The Huntress dropped what was left of her rod and stepped back away from Shinji. She put her hands to her hips.

"For a second I thought you were going to dive headfirst into your little campfire to escape," the Huntress said. "That of course would have been stupid."

"I'm _not_ stupid," Shinji frowned.

"I must be way in over my head because I believe you," the Huntress replied.

The Huntress removed her mask to reveal her smirking face. Shinji noted her head and face's slimmer features including her mandibles, and thought she must be younger than Gaun.

"Shin-ji, right?"

"Yeah," the ooman boy replied. "Who are you?"

"Gaun's first apprentice," she crossed her arms and sat down cross-legged in front of Shinji. "The one she…heh…tortured before moving onto you. Here…"

She reached forward and grabbed Shinji's hand, opening the palm to reveal Shinji's scar.

"Thought so. She introduced you to pain…"

She revealed her right palm to Shinji, showing him her own long-healed scar. Shinji was shocked to see that.

"S-she did that to you," Shinji grasped her palm as gently as he could.

"Yes. And…"

She pointed to the scar on her shoulder. Then she traced a finger up the scar on Shinji's own shoulder.

"The second scar she inflicted on the both of us."

"Ah…" Shinji turned away, now feeling sullen. "I…right…yeah."

"And the first few years of training, I wanted to be strong enough so I can inflict those same scars on her," the Huntress remarked. "I suppose that's another thing we have in common."

Shinji was alarmed, "WHAT? No! I won't do _that_."

"Good," the Huntress was still smirking. "She kicked my ass but good the first time I tried."

"First time?"

"Yeah," the Huntress laughed slightly. "It took another four beatings until I realized she was out of my league."

(SSJNYH)

**We sit down together and talk for a bit. Her name is Merl'we. She never had parents when she was my age. Her mum died giving birth to her and her brothers and sisters and her dad was nowhere to be found. She didn't want to end up like the other females, becoming a mom, so Gaun trained her before me about ten years ago, and she became the **_**second**_** girl warrior of the clan, and the third best after some guy named Nam. All that blood in the training circle where me and Gaun go to was **_**hers**_**.**

**Suddenly she asks me a very embarrassing question that I'll never forget…**

(SSJYNH)

"You were staring at my breasts the other day, weren't you?"

Shinji spluttered the water he was drinking from his pouch and he flushed red, "W-what?"

"Don't lie to me," Merl'we peered in close towards Shinji's face. "I saw you stare at them. Why was that? You seemed interested…"

Shinji could sense that the Huntress was being playful, but that didn't nothing to lessen the tension he was feeling.

"I-I just noticed that they looked…bigger than Gaun's," Shinji replied. "T-that's how I found out you weren't Gaun…"

"You were comparing them to Gaun's?" Merl'we exclaimed, obviously faking being outraged. "You look at female's breasts at YOUR AGE? YOU LITTLE PERVERT!"

Shinji clambered backward away from Merl'we, blushing furiously and sweat-dropping.

Merl'we then grinned. "Not that I mind, by the way."

Confused and still embarrassed, Shinji muttered, "What?"

"Merl'we!"

The Huntress was frozen stiff when she and Shinji heard Gaun's familiar, mature-sounding yet electronically distorted voice. Merl'we looked over shoulder.

"Oh…Gaun…" Merl'we sounded nervous. "You're here?"

Gaun materialized and stepped into the light of the fire.

"I was waiting for my apprentice to return with the vegetables for the stew," Gaun explained, annoyed. "I should have known you would distract him with your filth!"

"Filth?" Merl'we stood up, outraged yet playful. "Me?"

"You," Gaun shoved her backward with one hand to her left shoulder. "I asked you to _familiarize_ Shin-ji with his surroundings as part of his training, not to start acting like a she-hound on heat around him!"

"Huh?" Shinji was lost. "Er…"

"I'm just having some fun with the little pup," Merl'we briefly glimpsed at Shinji as she defended herself. "You may not want to believe it, but I do have standards!"

She then smiled.

"I act like I don't just to annoy you…_Nyaka-de._"

Gaun rolled her eyes upward…

**Just because you cannot defeat me over those two scars.**

"I will not have you turn him into a perverted tetch'na like Nam," Gaun hissed. "I told you about what males are capable of and still you went to him like…"

Merl'we frowned and jabbed a pointed finger at Gaun's chest, "Don't even go _there._ We both agreed _that_ was a mistake…"

"Um…Gaun, Merl'we."

"WHAT?" both Huntresses shot at Shinji.

The boy cringed, "What _are_ you talking about?"

Gaun chuckled hopelessly and realized they had been talking about their private lives in front of a ooman child. "Nothing one of your age should understand. Let us go…"

"Whoa…did you _just_ laugh?" Merl'we smirked. It faded when Gaun glared at her.

Shinji nodded and walked up to her, "Yes, Nyaka-de."

Merl'we snorted, "You make him call you master?"

"Just like I did with you," Gaun pointed out.

Shinji looked up at Merl'we, the younger of the two Huntresses staring right back.

"Guess I'll see you around, right?"

Merl'we smiled and bent over so that they were eye-level.

"Hopefully soon, Shin-ji-kun."

Shinji's cheeks flushed, "K-kun?"

Merl'we chuckled, "Gaun's not the only one to hunt amongst those islands."

As they returned to the cave, Gaun observed Shinji and saw that he was smiling lightly, and still blushing. He mentally sighed.

**Maybe enlisting my former pupil's help was not wise after all. Not that it would affect his ability to survive, her attitudes to life could prove…jarring.**

**I have to wonder: If he does become an adult and the Blooded warrior I am working towards making him, how would his **_**ooman**_** mind handle whatever trauma he will survive between the now and then?**

(SSJNYH)

_**Present Day**_

4AM. Misato woke with a nasty hangover to the loud sobs and cries of her roommate and subordinate Shinji. She gritted her teeth and cursed herself, last remembering offering the boy Yebisu as a means of getting over the depression he put himself in following his first Synch Test.

**I'm definitely going to Hell for **_**that**_**…uh, fuck…my head…**

She rubbed her aching head as she got out of bed and threw on some clothes that were lying on the ground.

(SSJNYH)

Shinji felt tears stream down his eyes as he tossed and turned in his sleep as he laid on the floor with his head resting on a pillow, the light from the moon shining through the window onto him. He was muttering in an alien language as he suffered nightmares, his cries becoming loud enough for the other residents in the apartment to hear.

Dressed in a t-shirt and shorts Misato walked slowly down the hallway towards Shinji's room. She could make out only one word out of the alien gibberish he kept spouting out sobbingly.

"Merl'we…Merl'we…mo, mo! Ell-osde thwei…Merlwe?"

"Merl'we?" Misato muttered to herself questioningly.

She opened Shinji's door and was shocked to find Shinji lying on the ground instead on the bed**. **

'I really thought he'd be sleeping on the bed like a normal human being,' Misato thought sadly. 'Guess he really isn't one any more, anyway.'

Sliding down onto the floor she wrapped her arms around he legs and holding them to her she shook her head morosely.

'Nightmares, huh? Should've seen this coming. For someone as tough as him they must be really bad ones he's suffering from.'

She gritted her teeth and continued to shake her head, her eyes closed intensely as she struggled with herself on what to do, on how to console a nightmare-stricken youth. She opened her eyes again and stood up, frowning now but with determination. She slid opened Shinji's bedroom door and stepped inside, standing before the grief-stricken, sleeping Predator.

Seeing the tears run down his face made her lose the frown. Instead she was saddened at the sorry state of him.

"Shinji…"

She knelt in front of him and reached towards his shoulder, not quite knowing what to do but felt she had to do something.

The boy's reaction was instantaneously. He opened his eyes, and in the darkness outside the moonlight he could only make out a shape kneeling before him, it's face hidden by shadows.

And then released a new, sinister, piercing war cry that spoke years of moulding someone, starting from seven years of age, into a monster…

**"Ssssssccccccrrrrrryyyyyyyy_!"_**

He snarled and reached for it's neck with his right hand, gripping it tightly until he made it cry out chokingly. In rage he slowly got off the floor, forced it to stand then pushed it against the wall roughly, making the door shake slightly. His wrist blades extended and inched it towards it's throat and he was about to separate it's head from it's neck when he heard it struggled to speak.

"S-S-Shinji…"

And the light turned on, revealing Shinji's hand was gripping Misato's throat tightly and her left hand desperately reached across the wall towards the light switch. Shinji's eyes widened with horror with watching Misato develop a blue tinge in front of him and let her arm drop. He immediately let go of and stepped back, tripping over his feet and landing back on the ground. Misato coughed painfully as she struggled to regain her breath.

"M-Misato…" Shinji looked up at her, as if helpless.

Coughing, Misato gasped as she leaned against the wall, doubled over slightly as she massaged her sore neck with her hand, "Sh-Shinji…wh-what…?"

Things suddenly became suddenly quiet between them as they looked at one another, stunned by each other's behaviour, none more so than Shinji. A few seconds passed between them, the boy then teared up then suddenly turned her back on Misato, ashamed with himself and not wanting her to see his tears. Misato gradually caught her breath and thoughts about confronting him angrily about almost killing her were phased out immediately when she was reminded that as an alien he was quite possibly the most dangerous thing on the planet, but as a human he was a complete emotional and psychological wreck.

"Shinji…" Misato reached for him.

He was about to apologise, but instead he choked out, "P-please g-get out."

"Wha…?"

"GET OUT!"

Shinji shouting at her, Misato found herself cautiously backing away from him when she saw him clenching and unclenching his left fist where one of his scars were. She stepped out the room, closed his door and leaned against the hallway wall, gripped with confusion and panic.

**It's finally official. He's lost his mind.**

**What's next?**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji fell onto the floor and gripped his pillow to himself, where with one long snort he stopped his flow of tears and laid back down on the ground.

**I'm through apologising…**

He then frowned.

**And I'm done crying.**

* * *

Thwei – Blood  
Chiva – Circle/Test  
Dtai'k-de – Fight  
Jehdin Jehdin - One on one/ hand to hand combat  
Cetanu – God of Death  
N'yaka-de – Master

And that's all we have time for. Didn't know if I should have added that last Present day bit, but I wanted to show what those seven years had done to Shinji and how he react to something sneaking up to him in the dark.

Next chapter – Battle against the 4th Angel.


	16. Chapter 15: Of The Morning

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_A/N: I'm aware my fic is moving along at a snail's pace and I admit I'm a pretty slow writer (I've got some many other things to do). Just thought I'd develop Shinji's character and history first, that way I'll be able to focus on other characters and events that will be introduced and I won't have to worry about Shinji being overshadowed in any way._

_However though, it's back to the present day…for now._

_Last but not least: 110 Favs, 114 Alerts, 130 Reviews (as of 31/12/11). You guys are the greatest! _

* * *

Chapter 15 – Of the Morning (Destroyer)

* * *

_Commander Ikari?_

Gendo glimpsed away from his monitor and over at the intercom on his desk, pushing the ESC key that closed the image file of a tall, muscled, brown-haired man in his mid to late thirties dressed in formal United States Military uniform with the name and rank 'Colonel Dutch Schafer – circa 1987' beneath it.

He answered the intercom, "Yes?"

_You have a call on line 1. He didn't give his name._

"I'll take it."

He reached for his desk pone and picked up the receiver.

"Ikari."

_Hello, Ikari._

Gendo's eyebrows raised themselves when he recognised _that_ voice, speaking perfect Japanese.

"Weyland."

_It's been a long time._

Gendo didn't seem happy to hear him.

"What do _you_ want?"

_Many things Ikari, and I'm glad I only need __**one**__ of from you: I just want to talk._

"I am a busy man, Weyland," Gendo frowned. "What is there to talk about?"

_All the oddities occurring in and around those ruins you call Tokyo-03. Mostly those of the inhuman kind._

"There is a reason NERV exists."

_The __**other**__ inhuman kind. The ones you don't need teenagers to pilot giant robots to fight against …_

"Spare me, Weyland."

(SSJNYH)

…_tragic news this hour. 24 year old Mizuho Yukiho, declared missing last week by Tokyo-03 Law Enforcement has been found dead. Police have found the woman's body in a dumpster in a undisclosed location, where forensics have found evidence of repeated physical and sexual abuse…_

Shinji yanked the earphones out of his ears and gripped his SDAT and just stood there, frozen. He then frowned.

**And there goes the rest of my day...**

He then tossed his SDAT into his locker and slammed it shut. He then remembered he had textbooks needed for next class and quickly reopened, retrieved his books and slammed it shut again. He noticed as other students were by their lockers they weren't staring at him as if he were an oddity or when they passed by him on their way to class they no longer spared a glance at him.

He smiled lightly. They were used to him.

It's been a full week since he was reintroduced to ooman ways of living, and same amount of time he spent at Tokyo-03 Municipal. For all his years without any sort of education besides learning how to fight and survive he had established himself as a keen student; able to understand what was being taught here at school and quickly making up for all those grades he never received – and they were moderate to above-average grades. Mostly when it came to History, Science, and Physical Education.

When it came to Gym he completely outclassed every other student, and it had been amusing in the change rooms that all the others boys almost freaked out at the level of tone his muscles had and the scars that covered them when they had been getting dressed.

Much to his annoyance Kensuke had voiced everyone's thoughts…

"_HOLY CRAP! WHERE'D YOU GET __**THOSE**__?"_

"_What?"_

"_T-those…those…I mean, crap, you're RIPPED!"_

"…_."_

"_You're not gonna tell us."_

"_.…"_

"_Aww…_

Toji seemed to make a note to keep his distance from Shinji following their less-then-civil episode on the school grounds. It would appear that he still blamed Shinji for his sister's unfortunate injuries during EVA-01's maiden voyage. Kensuke, however, appeared to keep him in eyeshot whether they passed by one another; obviously still retaining his interest of the Predator.

With Hikari Horaki, the Representative of Class 2-A, the person charged to make sure his first week at school was comfortable…

"Kasumi-san?"

Shinji turned his head to see Hikari holding her books to herself, "Hmm?"

"Class starts again in a couple of minutes."

Shinji nodded and they walked together back to class.

"It's been a week, Horaki-san," Shinji pointed out, eyes forward. "I don't need you to show me around anymore."

"Huh?"Hikari was caught off guard. "OH…er…I just thought…"

Shinji turned her head towards her, confused.

Hikari dipped her head a bit, sadly, "I-I…if you don't want to be my friend I'll…"

"Ah…" Shinji caught on. "I didn't think you'd want to hang around me longer than you had to."

"What?" Hikari stopped in her tracks. "What would make you think like that?"

Shinji scratched the back of his head, "Because I'm…weird?"

Hikari blushed lightly, "I don't think you're weird, Kasumi-san."

She smiled.

"You're fun to hang around with."

"I am?" Now it was Shinji's turned to blush.

"Sure," Hikari continued, still smiling. "You're smart, a lot nicer than most of the other guys here..."

She then frowned and rolled her eyes a bit.

"And you're not a pervert, either!"

Shinji blushed. He then looked at her confusingly…

**What's with ooman females calling other ooman males **_**perverts**_**? They afraid of being around each other or something?**

"Is something wrong?" Hikari broke him out of his thoughts. "You look…a bit off."

Shinji sighed and yawned, "Haven't been sleeping well."

"Oh?"

"I…I had a fight with Misato."

**Among other things.**

Hikari's looked concerned, "Miss Katsuragi? Why?"

"It's been a week and we haven't spoken much after…after," Shinji ignored her question and shuddered. "I just feel…like crap…"

"Was it serious?"

"Very."

**I hurt her.**

**And I won't hurt her again.**

(SSJNYH)

Toji thought Hikari was looking his way briefly as talked with Shinji, their eyes making brief contact before shifted focus solely on Shinji. The jock looked at her strangely and Kensuke noticed from his locker.

"What are you looking at, Toji?"

"Kasumi makin' conversation with the class rep, that's what," Toji snorted. "She's bein' hangin' off him for the past week."

"She's showing him around, isn't she?" Kensuke queried, closing his locker door.

"Not anymore she's not supposed to," Toji responded. "Dunno why, but it annoys the hell outta me."

Kensuke narrowed his eyes wryly at him as he adjusted his glasses and peered in closer to him, "Maybe…it's because _you_ like her."

"WHAT?"

Kensuke felt himself get shoved against the locker by an irate Toji.

"Say thatagain, I dare ya?"

**The fuck am I doing? **

"HEY!"

Toji's eyes widened when he heard Hikari shout at him and he spun around to confront her. Only to see Shinji standing behind him, staring hard. Toji cringed lightly and Kensuke smiled nervously, still up against the locker.

"Er…hi, Kasumi-san."

"…Hi," Shinji greeted Kensuke equally as awkward…for the second time.

He resumed staring down Toji, other students suddenly crowding around them.

"Why are you picking a fight with _him_ now?" Shinji glowered as he nodded his head at Kensuke. "Aren't you two friends?"

Toji growled and let go of Kensuke, "Butt out, pilot boy. We just had a disagreement. No need to go all…"

CLANG!

Toji held his tongue when Shinji struck the locker next to Toji with his left palm, his wrist-comp skimming past his cheek. The other students all gasped, Hikari included; her somehow forgot about her authority as class rep and didn't do anything to stop the hostilities brewing.

"You guys are _really_ starting to annoy me…"

"Kasumi?"

Shinji felt is breath caught in his throat when he heard that voice. All eyes turned to the azure haired, crimson-eyed, bandaged-up physical form of one Rei Ayanami standing in the middle of the hallway with her school-case in her right hand. The Predator felt his pent-up feelings of anger and bitterness disappear when he turned to face her.

"A-Ayanami?"

"We just received an emergency call from HQ," Rei spoke. "Transportation is waiting to take us there."

She then walked past Shinji, Toji, Kensuke and Hikari, all the other students clearing the way for her, stupefied. Shinji also appeared shocked as he watched Rei slowly depart. He gave Toji and Kensuke one last frown before running after Ayanami.

**I guess it's time once again.**

"HEY…WAIT UP, AYANAMI!"

Hikari like everyone else watched then go silently. Most of them were more shocked that Rei had opened her mouth and spoke, much less to someone else.

'So it's true after all,' she thought. 'He's a pilot.'

She then looked down at her feet, that fact making her feel sad for him.

'Shinji-kun…'

(SSJNYH)

Half-an-hour later Shinji pressurised his plugsuit, feeling his left bicep through the suit, relieved that he hadn't lost the tone in any of his muscles during his time here. Shinji frowned about the next time he'll have to face his father.

**Should I just run up to him and tear his throat out? If I have to run up to him and use my teeth I bet this suit could take a few bullets.**

He then looked down at himself. He then snorted…

**No, better not. I don't feel like dying yet.**

(SSJNYH)

Misato waited outside the change rooms, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

**We haven't said more than twenty words to each other for about a week, ever since he almost squeezed my head off my shoulders. It's starting to get unbearable…**

She then felt her lips and frowned.

**And why do I have the feeling that I locked lips with him but can't remember doing it? I swear…**_**now**_** I'm feeling like I need to tear my hair out…**

"Katsuragi?"

She was pulled from her thoughts by Shinji, standing before her as the door into the change rooms closed.

"Shinji," Misato acknowledged him, straightening her back and assuming the role of his superior. "Are you ready to head out?"

Shinji nodded, "Yeah."

"Report to Cage #3 then," Misato ordered. "You'll receive your orders there."

"Alright."

Shinji strode past her and down the hallway towards the passage, eyes downcast and that look of shame plastered on his face once again. Misato caught a glimpse of it just as he had passed her and sighed.

"Wait, Shinji…"

The pilot froze, not facing her.

"I forgave you, remember."

Shinji grimaced.

"I know."

Misato's eyes widened at that revelation.

"Y-you do?"

"Yes."

Shinji then continued heading to where he was supposed to be, leaving Misato standing there.

**If he's not feeling guilty about what happened a week ago why does he still sound like he's avoiding me?**

(SSJNYH)

_**ENEMY CONTACT BREACHING TERROTORIAL WATERS! TOKYO-03 INITIATING BATTLE MODE!**_

With Gendo's sudden, briefly explained absence, the Sub-Commander found himself in command; though he would soon hand battlefield control over to the Chief of Operation Captain Katsuragi. He stared at the main screen in Central Dogma and the rapidly approaching 4th Angel, skimming over the ocean towards Tokyo-03.

"Time until arrival?" Kozo inquired.

"At it's current rate, it will reach the city limits in approximately three minutes, sir," Makato reported.

"Lucky us," Misato commented as she stepped into Central Dogma accompanied by Ritsuko. "Shinji's already standing by in EVA-01."

Misato smiled.

"So two weeks later we're actually ready for em' this time."

**Good thing it's only been two weeks. Shinji's been looking like he needs to kill something, and the less human it is the better.**

"So where'd Commander Ikari go, anyway?" Shigeru asked.

"Business, last I heard," Makato responded.

Misato wrinkled her nose.

**Ikari actually looked flustered when he gave control over to the Sub-Commander. More than when Shinji directed his rage onto him via intergalactic tribal spear.**

**Anyways…**

"Are you ready, Shinji?" Misato exclaimed out loud.

(SSJNYH)

Eyes closed, Shinji leaned back in EVA-01's plug as he get used to breathing liquid.

"Yes, Misato."

**Hope you can remember what the Elder said, Curved Blade. Remember the task he gave you…**

"_I have a mission for you, Curved Blade. Something I have been reserving for a newly Blooded hunter."_

_What mission?_

"_Return to the oomans and help them stave off the Paya Amedha invasion of Earth. They trust you enough to wield their bio-weapon. __She__ trusts you enough to wield it."_

**He had looked at Misato when he said that.**

"_She will know, through slaying Pyode, Paya and Kainde Amedha and preserving this world for our future generations, that you are proper breeding material. She will no doubt then be honoured to bear your offspring."_

_Uh…yes, Elder._

Shinji rubbed his forehead with his left hand and sighed frustratingly.

**Even the Elder's given us his blessing. What a pain…**

(SSJNYH)

Kozo frowned again, hearing Shinji acknowledge Misato.

**Shinji Curved Blade being compliant. Not a good sign…**

"Contact approaching!" Maya exclaimed. "Designated 4th Angel. City defences responding…!"

On the main screen they saw the Fourth, Shamshel. A floating massive, arthropod-like creature, with a long cylindrical body, a shovel-shaped head with two eyespot-like markings and eight retractable segmented limbs. It also has two short 'arms'. It's core was located in it's 'throat.'

**A true monster. Shinji will feel right at home fighting this thing.**

The city's defences opened up on Shamsel, explosions racking all sides of it but not having any effect. Misato grimaced as it continued hovering towards the city centre, disregarding the missile launcher and ropeway turrets unloading upon it.

"No effect," Ritsuko commented.

"That figures," Kozo stated matter-of-factly, hands clasped behind his back. "Taxpayer's money _well_ spent."

"Captain," Shigeru got off the phone, putting the receiver down. "The Committee is demanding immediate dispatch of…"

"Way ahead of them!" Misato called out. "Shinji?"

The main screen showed EVA-01 and it's cage.

"You'll be using a Battle Rifle this time," Ritsuko said. "Concentrate on eliminating the enemy's AT Field than focus on the core."

_Yes._

Misato smiled, "Remember…short controlled bursts!"

(SSJNYH)

Shinji nodded, "Right?"

**Short controlled bursts.**

_EVA-01 LIFT OFF!_

Shinji leaned back against his seat when EVA-01 was taken to the surface via elevator at seemingly insane speeds, the G-Forces pushing him downward.

**Back into it!**

It all suddenly screeched to a halt and everything went dark. The screeching of machinery were heard all around as the cage door in front of him and EVA-01 lowered downward to reveal Tokyo-03. He looked to his side to find his Battle Rifle stashed next to EVA-01 and grabbed it. He then manoeuvred EVA-01 out of the cage, the sun immediately hitting him in the eye.

_Target is three blocks north-west, _Maya informed him. She then added, _Good luck_.

Shinji smiled, which faded just EVA-01 dashed away from the cage, across those three blocks to the north-west. He couldn't keep a straight face when he saw the 4th Angel Shamshel another few blocks ahead of him. In fact he scowled at the sight of the Angel 'standing' up on it's body, giving it an almost phallic appearance.

**First the Kainde Amedha and now…this thing. Does the ugliest looking monsters in the universe have to look like a guy's…organ…? **

_SHINJI!_ Misato shouted over the com.

"What?"

_WHAT ARE YOU DOING JUST STANDING THERE? OPEN FIRE!_

(SSJNYH)

Frustration begun to build up once again within Misato and Ritsuko once again. _**Once again**_ Shinji/EVA-01 and the Angel were just standing there unresponsive. Misato was about to shout again when she saw Shinji's look of concentration one of the smaller screens.

"What _is_ he doing?" Makato said.

Kozo smiled.

**I guess we are in for a show.**

(SSJNYH)

Shamshel arms suddenly generated pink energy whips, immediately slicing a couple of buildings in half as it flailed them around. Shinji suddenly fired his rifle, full auto, at the Angel. With almost perfect accuracy he hit Shamshel square in the 'head', generating a lot smoke that slowly quickly obscured it from view until nothing could be seen.

"STOP FIRING, SHINJI!" Misato barked at him once again. "YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING BEHIND ALL THAT SMOKE.

"Good!" Shinji exclaimed.

**He can't see **_**me**_** either.**

Shinji then lowered his aim at the ground near his feet and begun firing…

(SSJNYH)

Misato felt the impulse to shout down at Shinji once again, seeing him seemingly waste his ammunition and generating enough smoke to obscure himself and the main screen's camera view of EVA-01 and the Angel.

"We're losing visual!" Shigeru exclaimed.

"STOP FIRING, SHINJI…NOW!" Misato cried. She then called out above the loud and continued rifle fire, "EVA-01's status?"

"Eh? Shinji's on the move!" Makato was surprised to report. "And he's not armed."

"What?"

They still heard the rifle firing, though, and it's magazine was almost empty. And Shamshel swung it's whip-like tendrils at Shinji's last position, slicing the building that was behind him. The smoke dissipated finally and revealed that Shinji's rifle...

"What the hell?"

…had been jammed into the building, it's barrel pointed at the Angel and it's trigger pushed in hard enough to jam it and cause the rifle to continue firing.

"EVA-01 flanked the target!" Makato cried. "He's behind it!"

(SSJNYH)

Shinji smiled, thinking that the creature didn't see him…

**This thing **_**has**_**eyes after all.**

He had generated a smoke screen around himself and the Angel, stuck the rifle into the building that he had been standing in front of, jammed the trigger so it would continue firing and circled around it. Now he was standing behind it, it's back turned to him. He then charged…

"ORAAAAAAAHH!"

…and it turned around in turn, swinging it's whips at him. Shinji snarled…

**Maybe not. I can **_**sense**_** me.**

EVA-01 brought it's left arm up in a defensive posture as Shamshel's right whip wrapped itself around it. Shinji gritted his teeth as he felt like his arm was being burned. However that wasn't enough to deter, or even slow, the EVA and it's seemingly maniacal pilot and it rammed into the anthropod, It was sent flying, but it's tendril was still around EVA-01's arm it and quickly propelled itself back at him in a sort of elastic effect.

Shinji snarled and willed EVA-01 to swing it's right leg and strike and deliver a kick to it's 'gut', the force of the impact enough to make it loosen it's grip on him. He tore the tendril off him and…

"YAH!

…swung a left hook and nailed Shamshel in the forehead.

(SSJNYH)

"Whoa!" Makato voiced everyone's thoughts on how Shinji struck the first blow against Shamshel.

"Yeah," Shigeru agreed. "Er…I mean. Minimal damaged sustained to left arm. Full mobility."

Misato's mouth was agape, "He…did he…?"

Kozo rubbed his chin, smiling. "He used the smoke generated from the rifle as a screen and snuck around the Angel. Even if it didn't exactly catch the Angel off guard I'm still impressed."

_**They**_** trained his **_**mind**_** as well as his body.**

Ritsuko shook her head, in denial, "There is _no_ way he can be able to pilot the EVA this well. Even if he a…competent warrior himself, that still shouldn't make any impact on his ability to pilot."

"Well, it does," Misato said.

(SSJNYH)

The smile on Shinji's face faded when Shamshel ceased being stunned and propelled itself forward off the ground, knocking EVA-01 back. Just as the purple unit raised his both his fists Shamshel's tendril wrapped itself around both his arms. Shinji felt like both his wrists were being burnt off his arms as they seared through EVA-01's armour. Unfazed, EVA-01 suddenly head-butted Shamsel, it's horn piercing it's forehead. Shinji then pulled it out, his foot against the Angel.

_Shinji!_ Misato exclaimed. _'You're gonna get yourself torn to screds! Get some distance and we'll send you another rifle_

EVA-01 ducked it's head as Shamshel swung it's left tendril sideways and ducked towards to avoid the right tendril's downward lash. Soon Shinji was reduced to dodging Shamshel's whips, being unable to get up close and land another strike to it's core.

_DID YOU HEAR ME, SHINJI? _

"I HEARD YOU!" Shinji shouted. "DIFFICULT!"

Shinji then seized the opportunity, willing EVA-01 to topple itself backwards on the ground to avoid another tendril strike, then rolling over back onto his feet and standing up. Shamsel struck again as EVA-01 pushed itself off the ground and propelled into the air with it's left foot and landing four city blocks. This more or less winded everyone in Central Dogma, Misato's shaky voice over the com proof enough.

_S-Shinji?_

"I'm not turning my back and running away!" Shinji exclaimed. "If I have to put _some_ distance between me and this monster I'd rather keep my eyes on it!"

(SSJYNH)

Misato looked at the main screen, completely surprised. She then shook her head, bringing herself back to reality.

"Armament building to your left, Shinji!"

(SSJNYH)

_Take the rifle!_

Without bothering to wait for the structure to open up and reveal the rifle, Shinji/EVA-01 punched through it, grabbed the weapon and shattered the building to pieces as he pulled it out. Shamshel was immediately upon him, flailing it's tendrils where the energy covering them appeared to increase until they were bright enough to bathe the district in their pinkish glow as building were smashed and debris were sent flying everywhere, some of which struck EVA-01. He immediately fired up at the whips, keeping them at bay before targeting the Angel and the core.

He then came to a startling discovery. One that made him grit his teeth in frustration.

**This gun isn't inflicting any damage AT ALL!**

Shinji then demonstrated his detriment of NERV produced ranged weaponry by breaking it in two with his hands and discarding it.

(SSJNYH)

"D-did he just…?" Ritsuko was stunned at the sight.

"SHINJI!" Misato screamed. "WHY DID YOU…?"

_Rifle doesn't do anything! _ Shinji exclaimed. _I'm taking this thing down now…_

(SSJNYH)

"…no one's in these buildings, right?"

_No, but…_ came Maya's response.

"Good!"

Shinji had already made it clear to NERV that he was pragmatic when it came to combat. However they didn't count on Shinji putting EVA-01's right arm through the nearest skyscraper in a slicing motion, catching the part that was toppling over towards and charge Shamshel with it's roof pointed at the Angel atkin to a battery ram. And that's what Shinji did.

_Oh God, Shinji!_

"_**SCCCRRRYYYYY!"**_

Shinji screeched as he slammed the crumbling building against Shamshel, practically exploding and bringing up a massive dust cloud that blanketed the whole area. Shinji brought his arms up in an X motion as he rammed himself against Shamshel. He was stopped in his tracks, however, as he felt a whip grab him by the left leg and lift him up effortlessly.

"YAHHH!" he cried, taken off guard as now felt his left leg get burned. "ARGHHH!"

_SHINJI!_ Came Misato's terrified yell.

Shamshel's other tendril shot forward towards EVA-01's umbilical cable. It then proceeded to yank it out…

(SSJNYH)

"UMBILICAL CABLE SEVERED!" Shigeru cried. "EVA-01 SWITCHING TO INTERAL BATTERIES!"

"Oh hell!" Misato exclaimed.

They saw the whole thing. EVA-01 charging Shamshel with it's skyscraper battering ram, the Angel lifting EVA-01 up by it's left leg then finally disconnecting it's external power source, leaving Shinji and his EVA with five minutes worth of reserve power.

"Minimal damage sustained to wrists and feet!" Maya exclaimed. "Oh God…LOOK!"

Misato looked up from the lieutenant to the main screen and saw that Shinji wasn't sitting back and letting himself get tossed aside…

(SSJNYH)

Reacting fast to his umbilical cable getting torn out, Shinji willed EVA-01 to catch the cable with his right leg by twirling it around the cable so that it didn't slip. Determined, Shinji raised his right leg and grabbed it with his right hand. With a cry of might Shinji pictured himself yanking the cable out from the power station it was connected…which EVA-01 complied.

The result caused an explosion within Tokyo-03 as EVA-01 tore the unmanned power station out from beneath it's surface support structure where it flew upward toward EVA-01's waiting hands.

'**When in doubt, improvise LIKE HELL!'**

**Nam's words of wisdom!**

With the cable attached to the power station like a makeshift flail he swung it downward at the Angel, striking in it's face as it looked up at it's prey, hitting the core and stunning it. Now seemingly enraged, he begun to swing EVA-01 around as if he it was playing shot-put. Inside the plug Shinji gritted is teeth as he suffered through the G-Forces

_**Now**_** it's angry!**

Soon Shinji was sent flying high above Tokyo-03, the n plummeted straight into a familiar looking hill. Shinji groaned as felt his strength leave him as EVA-01 lay in a crumpled heap.

(SSJNYH)

"Minimal damage sustained to all systems!" Maya announced forlornly. "EVA-01 has gone silent!"

"Pilot status!" Ritsuko demanded.

"Unknown!" Makato reported. "Pilot monitoring systems have been damaged!"

Misato felt her eyes quiver in fear at the video images of EVA-01's still, lying form on the hill. The same, blackened hill where the alien-carrying spacecraft had crashed and Shinji subsequently blew up in spectacular fashion that had signalled his arrival on Earth.

"Shinji?" Misato muttered quietly.

No response.

"SHINJI!" she then screamed, now genuinely terrified for her subordinate slash charge.

_O-ow…_

"Shinji!" Misato cried out happily, with a smile on her face. "Are you alright?"

_Y-yeah!_ Shinji groaned. _Head hurts! Back hurts! I…_

Shinji was silent for a second. That was before he exclaimed in genuine surprise.

_Hey what the…?_

(SSJYNH)

"…pauk?"

Shinji was looking out through the side of the plug, where between EVA-01 fingers were Toji and Kensuke, both of them with their backs turned and covering their heads with their arms. They lowered their arms and slowly looked behind themselves and up at EVA-01, and seemingly at Shinji, tears and snot drizzling down their faces and smiles of absolute joy that they were alive.

Shinji gritted his teeth and glared down at them, frustration building up within him.

**WHAT ARE **_**THEY**_** DOING HERE?**

(SSJNYH)

**How in the hell did we end up here?**

_**Fifteen minutes earlier…**_

Toji felt stuffy within the confines of the civil emergency bunker which was completely filled to the maximum number of civilians.

"This blows," Toji groused as he sat on his and Kensuke's shared blanket. "We get outta school early and we wind up in dis' pit!"

Kensuke was fiddling with his new camera. Toji sighed.

"You brought a new camera?"

"You just noticed?" Kensuke looked up at him, perplexed.

"Obviously," Toji said.

He then noticed Kensuke's camera had been tuned to pick up the emergency broadcast system.

"Anything useful?"

Kensuke shook his head, "Nope. Nothing else. Nothing about the Angel. Nothing about the Evangelion. It's all just telling us to get underground and wait for them to sort everything out. Oh…"

He dropped his camera, hands on his arm legs as he bowed his head.

"Just once I want to see the EVA. Just once...and never again."

His eyes then flew open.

"Hey Toji?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's sneak out."

(SSJNYH)

_**Now**_

**Rightttt…can blame Kensuke for this one. And he guilt-tripped me into comin' with him with mentionin' Shinji savin' all of us in that last battle.**

**Should've known shit would go down like this. We're on the same mountainside that UFO carrying those schlong-shaped aliens crashed into for fuck's sake!**

Toji felt like he was about to void his bowels. The knowledge that he had almost being crushed by an eighty plus foot mech that had been flung their way was too much to bear.

(SSJNYH)

_Aren't those your schoolmates, Shinji?_

"Yeah!" Shinji exclaimed.

**Now what?**

_HEADS UP, SHINJI! YOU GOT INCOMING!_

Shinji looked up at the ceiling of his plug to see Shamshel descending upon him, immediately sending it's tendrils at him. EVA-01 reached forward and immediately seized both tendrils, the energy immediately burning away at the armour covering EVA-01's hands, his own wrists feeling the feedback. Shinji gritted his teeth, comparing the pain he was feeling to acid burns.

(SSJNYH)

Toji and Kensuke watched as EVA-01 grappled with the Angel, frozen in place afraid that if they moved Shamshel would redirect it's horrific attentions to them.

"Why doesn't he force dat thing away?"

"'Cause we're here!" Kensuke replied. "We either get crushed or the Angel will come after us.

**Damn it!**

(SSJNYH)

"Try up and get up, Shinji!" Misato ordered.

_C-can't!_ Shinji shot back. _Painful. Can't…crush those two._

Misato rubbed the back of side of her head roughly, trying to come up with a contingency. She then looked at one of the smaller screen which displayed the cowering forms of Toji and Kensuke.

**All it takes were for those two to throw Shinji off. **

"Goddammit!"

She turned to Maya.

"Nearest retrieval site?"

"The eastern side of the mountain, ma'am, " Maya replied. "But the mechanism controlling the lift was damaged during the explosion of that UFO. It's no good!"

"Alternate site?"

"None closest without being intercepted by targ…"

"_**I'M NOT RUNNING AWAY!"**_

All heads shot up and ears burned when they heard Shinji's bellow throughout Central Dogma.

"W-what?" Misato cried.

(SSJYNH)

"Grr…I'M NOT RUNNING AWAY!" Shinji repeated. He then exclaimed slightly calmer. "Don't even think about asking me to run away!"

He then lowered his head and closed his eyes.

Shinji then spoke again, quietly. "_P-please_ don't ask me to run away."

**If I did…I would no longer be a Predator.**

He then worriedly glanced down at his wrist-comp.

**And that means **_**death**_**.**

_Shinji, I'm the one giving the orders remember?_ Misato exclaimed heatedly. _I'm ordering you to make your way around the Angel and towards…retrieval site #23 located near the city centre! You understand me?_

"Yeah."

He then gripped his left rein and pulled on it.

_Shinji?_

"I understand."

(SSJNYH)

"HEY, LOOK!"

EVA-01's Entry Plug extracted itself from it's neck chamber and it's top half opened, _invitingly_. They then heard Shinji's voice…

_You two, get in!_

…and the boys looked at one another, shocked.

"YOU HEARD THE GUY!" Toji cried.

(SSJNYH)

_SHINJI! YOU CAN'T JUST LET UNAUTHORISED CIVILANS INTO THE PLUG!_

The pilot slash Predator frowned as he heard Misato come down on him, _again. _He felt the LCL ripple around him as Toji and Kensuke jumped into the plug, immediately freaking when they released they had leapt into liquid and would be breathing it in.

"Why not?" Shinji asked, emotionlessly.

They all felt the plug then reinsert itself back into the EVA. Shinji then gripped the reins and EVA-01 launched itself forward and head-butted Shamshel, gripping it's tendrils tighter before stretching them forward and trying them together into a knot. He then finished by forcing backward into the city structures with a kick, getting some distance between them. Shinji then exhaled painfully, his hands still feeling like they were burning.

"Ow…" Shinji heard Toji groan, having been tossed about during the counterattack. "Hey, nice piloting jerk…"

Toji and Kensuke swam up to each side of Shinji's seat, shocked that it was him sitting there.

"Y-YOU!" Toji exclaimed.

"Me," Shinji replied, tiredly.

"The hell are you doin' in here?"

Shinji frowned even harder, "Piloting this thing. Fighting the Angel…"

He then looked over his shoulder, looking Toji right in the eye.

"Hurting someone else's little sister…"

"WHY YOU SMART-ASSED PIECE A'…!"

Kensuke found himself physically restraining Toji, who attempted to throttle the pilot. Both Toji and Kensuke covered their eyes when they heard Misato bellow over the com…

_SHINJI!_

(SSJNYH)

"FOLLOW MY ORDERS!" Misato shouted up at the screen, now desperate to control him. "FALL BACK!"

_Why?_

"W-what?" Misato was taken back.

_I can beat him._

Ritsuko rubbed her temples, frustrated that Shinji thought he was above following orders, "Misato, we could just turn the LCL pressure up and…"

"NO!" Misato practically screamed in Ritsuko's face. "We're not doing THAT!"

_I know what I'm doing. You're just distracting me, now._

Both Misato and Ritsuko faced the screen, eyes widened in surprise of Shinji. Makato, Maya and Shigeru also looked shocked with Shinji's declaration. Kozo's mouth formed a thin, determined line.

**Now we'll see what Shinji is **_**really**_** capable of.**

Misato gritted her teeth worriedly as she glanced at the screen, now displaying EVA-01 slowly getting up from the mountainside and staring down Shamshel.

'What are _you_ thinking, Shinji?' she thought. 'What's wrong with you?'

"EVA-01 has one remaining minute of internal power left!" Maya reported, panicked.

(SSJNYH)

Toji and Kensuke were now amazed with and terrified of EVA-01's pilot. Amazed of the way he piloted EVA-01 and how he spoke to his superior. Terrified _also_ of the way he spoke to his superiors and what he was about to do next.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YA' DOIN', IDIOT?" Toji couldn't stop himself from berating the seemingly rogue pilot. "SHE TOLD YA' TO FULL BACK!"

Toji cringed when Shinji glared at over his shoulder.

"Do you want to live?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Then hold onto something."

Shamshel pulled at own tendrils until it was about to loosen them enough to untie them. It then appeared to overcharge it's energy whips even more, evident by cracking, almost haywire effect surrounding the tendrils that were enough to bathe the entire district in pink. Shinji focused his EVA to reach for it's left shoulder-plating, which folded back to reveal a knife hand. He drew it out…

(SSJNYH)

"PROGRESSIVE KNIFE HAS BEEN DRAWN!" Makato cried.

Misato felt her jaw drop, seeing that Shinji was serious about continuing to fight. They then saw EVA-01 reach towards the on it's forehead with ít's right hand. Everyone gasped…

"He's…hey…!" Makato cried, leaning back in his seat as far away from his console and the main screen as possible. "Is he really going to…?"

EVA-01 then broke it's own horn off, and hold it like a knife. Misato and Ritsuko were blown away by this, having never considered the possibility of Shinji's pragmatism reaching this level of depth.

"What's he going to do know with two knives?" Maya asked out loud.

Misato's considered the possibilities…

**Wait! He's not thinking of…**

(SSJNYH)

"RAAAAARGGGHHHHHHH!"

**Here I come, prey…! **

Shinji roared once again, as loud as his lungs could manage, as he rushed Shamshel down the mountainside and towards the city. Toji thought that Shinji was about to start laughing maniacally, but the only sounds that were coming from Shinji were intense breathing through gritted teeth…

"Oh, God…" Kensuke whimpered.

The otaku felt relief to hear Shinji's voice…

"HOLD ON!"

Shamshel swung it's tendrils, each one coming at EVA-01 from both sides. Shinji focused…

**Focus…!**

gripping each knife (or 'and horn') so that the blade was pointed towards him and EVA-01. He pierced each tendril, impaling them. Shinji then raised EVA-01's arms, each with the whips impaled on his weapons. He then drove his blades into each side of Shamshel's 'face', pinning it's own tendrils to it.

(SSJNYH)

"He…he actually did it."

Misato and everyone else in command were amazed that Shinji was about to pull such a feat. Katsuragi was completely taken back, but at the same time…she was just amazed, period.

**That…that was…amazing.**

**It can't just be the fact he was raised by a clan of heavily armed space uglies it has to be something else driving him. **

She looked intensely at the main screen, with EVA-01 advancing menacingly upon Shamshel. Contemplative, she thought of the obvious reason driving Shinji…

**Anger? Hatred for his father?**

She then turned her attention to the scrambled biometric readouts for EVA-01, scrambled due to the additional presence of Toji and Kensuke also within the EVA.

**Protecting those two?**

She then thought of another obvious reason. One that made her face heat up a bit…

**Me?**

"HE'S GOING IN!" Shigeru declared.

All eyes refocused on the main screen…

(SSJNYH)

"RAAARGH!"

EVA-01 grabbed Shamshel by the 'face' and drove it's knee into core, cracking it. He then snarled and delivered another knee strike. He then reared his fist back, and delivered a devastating uppercut.

He then bellowed…

"_**SCCCCRRRRYYYY!"**_

Shamshel's core shattered as EVA-01 rammed it's fist harder into it. Shinji bellowed then practically shoved his EVA's arm into it's body right up to the elbow. Both Toji and Kensuke held each and screamed their lungs out with fright while most of the bridge crew in Central Dogma were white as a sheet, horrified at the way Shinji finished off the Angel with only one minute to spare.

"_Thirty seconds remaining time left!"_ Maya exclaimed.

EVA-01 was still for a moment. Shinji was seething intensely as if he had stricken with rabies and he was gripping the rein hard enough for his hands to ache. Toji and Kensuke relaxed, the otaku dared to let go of his friend and climb over toward Shinji.

"Er…Kasumi?"

"RAAARGGGHHHH!"

Shinji screamed, knocking Kensuke down and pulled his arm out of Shamsel and delivered a devastating kick to it's body and knocking it into the city, bringing up building debris and a lot of dust.

_Target designated Shamsel has gone silent, _Makato reported. _The 4__th__ Angel has been terminated._

Shinji tried to control breathe easier, resulting in him panting intensely, sweat running down his face. He moved his left hand to wipe his forehead, which was pointless as the LCL was quick to absorb the sweat

(SSJNYH)

"W-whoa…"

Makato gulped, having beared witness to Shinji and EVA-01 second Angelic kill, which had been just as spectacular as their battle against the first one to have dared set it's foot within Tokyo-03's city limits. Misato, however, was just frowning at the main screen, iffed that Shinji had blatantly disobeyed her orders to withdraw and had risk everybody's lives to continue fighting.

Seeing that Misato was indisposed, Ritsuko asked. "Remaining time left?"

"Thirty seconds, Dr. Akagi," Maya reported.

"The status of the pilot?"

Everyone looked at the screen to see Shinji still winding down, having now buried is his head in his hands.

(SSJNYH)

Shinji held his head in his hands as he continued to breathe laboriously, the feedback from taking damage point blank still making him feel like he had been put through a brick wall, the same way EVA-01 was put through a skyscraper. Toji's face was a mix of confusion and empathy as he and Kensuke stood there silently in the plug, watching EVA-01's pilot try to unwind.

**I-I can't believe I'm asking myself this, but…**

He lowered his hand from his eyes and glimpsed ahead over Tokyo-03, pensive.

**Is this **_**really**_** me? Was I supposed to end up this way? Since I came back here I haven't…**

…**felt right.**

"K-Kasumi?" Toji broke the silence.

Shinji rolled his right eye and stared back at Shinji past his hand. He frowned.

"Get out of the EVA," Shinji said, calmly, as he ejected the Entry Plug out of the Evangelion with his left hand.

The boys were shaken from their empathy of Shinji and looked at him oddly.

"Huh?" Kensuke managed to let out.

Shinji then exploded…

"**GET** _**OUT**_!"

(SSJNYH)

Shigeru cringed and leaned back in his chair from the sheer volume of Shinji's exclamation.

"He's sounds pissed."

Maya checked her terminal, "Both unauthorised civilians leaving the plug."

(SSJNYH)

Both the jock and the otaku found selves climbing out of the Entry Plug, down the length of EVA-01's back and landing on the grass hard, stinking of both LCL and fear; fear of the pilot slash berserker that had just booted them out of the EVA. Toji wiped his forehead, the amount of LCL that accumulated in his palm that was enough to fill the crevices of it enough to make him grimace.

"T-Toji?"

He turned to his friend, who had finished coughing up the LCL that he was force to suck down, "Yeah?"

"I think we're going to get into trouble."

"You kids have no idea!"

They spun around to see two black-vested JSSDF soldiers step out of the bushes, handguns at the two of them. They cringed and put their hands up.

"Eh…what the fuck?" Toji commented on the fact they were pointing guns at them.

**Not again!**

"You two are coming with us," one of the soldiers ordered, firmly. "Nice and easy, now."

"Where're you gonna take us?" Toji asked.

"Somewhere where we'll be straightening this whole mess out," the other soldier said. He then growled, "Now get moving…"

"Where exactly?"

All eyes looked up to see Shinji standing on top of the plug, LCL running off his suited body as the sun shone right behind him, giving him a sort of righteous, if not ominous, aura. The two JSSDF were briefly surprised by his sudden appearance, before regaining their stoic, serious exteriors.

"This has got nothing to do with you, pilot. Just stay where you are with the EVA and wait for pickup."

Shinji frowned even harder before stepping off the plug and landing on the grass, one knee touching the ground. Toji and Kensuke gaped at him as he had practically leaped out of his EVA. The JSSDF appeared unfazed, though.

"Where _are_ you taking them?" Shinji asked.

One of the soldier's stepped up in front of him.

"If you must know we're following Executive Orders here concerning the presence of civilians in place they're not supposed to be," the soldier stated, seriously. "Everything after that is classified. Now step back!"

He then indicated his gun.

"Or else."

"What?" Shinji rubbed his hands together. "Or else what?"

"Hey!" the other soldier called out. "This isn't what you think it is, kid."

Shinji pursed his lips, "Then what is it?"

Toji and Kensuke eyed one another in confusion.

"Look, just shut up stay where you are! NERV will take care of you!" the JSSDF standing in from of him exclaimed, as if starting to panic. "Just let us do our jobs!"

"No."

"WHAT?"

They aimed their guns at him.

"What the fuck did you say?"

"No!" Shinji exclaimed angrily.

He extended his wrist blade; Toji and Kensuke were immediately horrified at the sight of him.

**Oh shit! I remember that look…back at the Mall!**

"I won't!"

"FUCK…DROP HIM!"

(SSJNYH)

Shinji sprinted toward them. The first JSSDF gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger. Immediately predicting they would aim for his head he jerked it to the side, dodging the bullet before driving his wristblade right into the soldier's gullet. Due to his training the soldier was silent as he was run through, but that quickly disappeared when Shinji twisted the blade and made him gasp.

"OH FUCK!" the other soldier bellowed out loud, trying to aim at Shinji past his skewered colleague. Sweat immediately ran down side of his face when he noticed him staring over his comrade's shoulder at him and he instinctively…

"HEY! WHAT'RE YOU…NO!"

…grabbed Kensuke and put his gun to his head, shoving Toji out of the way. Shinji narrowed his eyes and pushed the first soldier's body aside, blood and exposed intestines spurting up from the wound and from his mouth as he desperately tried to stay conscious, only to cark it second later his eyes still open in absolute horror.

"_**SCCCCRRRRYYYY!" **_Shinji hissed at the JSSDF, his shrill cry taking them all off guard.

The soldiers swore his eyes glowed red for a second.

"Don't take another fuckin' step you fuckin' monster!" the soldier screamed, panicked.

"_I_ don't kill unarmed people," Shinji stated, arms spread to both sides of him in his stance. "Or children!"

"W-what?" Kensuke muttered.

"It's part of the job!" the JSSDF exclaimed. "Contrary to popular belief, kid…it doesn't mean we fucking enjoy it!"

Shinji snorted, "So you _were_ going to kill them?"

"C'mon, just try it!" the JSSDF pushed the barrel harder into Kensuke's skull. "Let's see what you're made of!"

The soldier smirked when he saw Shinji step back, believing he had the upper hand over the little sociopath. Then he noticed Shinji's eyes move upward as he stared at something that had materialised behind the soldier and his otaku hostage. Toji's mouth was agape at the sight of a massive, heavily muscled, armed and armoured humanoid with dreadlocks in a steel mask decloak right before him.

"Nam," Shinji wiggled his eyebrows, casually greeting the hulk of a Predator.

"What?" the soldier cried, then looked over his soldier. "WHAT THE FU…?"

He let go of Kensuke, who scrambled over towards Shinji. The JSSDF gripped his handgun with both hand and aimed up at Nam's face. Blood immediately spurted out of his mouth when Nam impaled him on his Arm Blades – which more like resembled large sword that popped out of his arms. Shinji watched silently, and with a tiny smirk, as Nam lifted the soldier in the air, eliciting choked, pained gasps from the black-garbed soldier.

"_**Let's…see…what you're made of!"**_ Nam's voice replicator repeated electronically in his piercing hiss.

Kensuke and Toji, however, couldn't watch…

(SSJNYH)

…and neither could many of the staff in Terminal Dogma. Maya looked away, mouth covered with her hands as she tried to force the bile back down. Makato and Shigeru just stared at the main screen in horror. Misato gripped her pendent tightly, gritting her teeth as she tried to get a hold of herself.

**I-I was **_**never**_** in command of this mission! All I did was just **_**unleash**_** Shinji and he took over!**

She looked up desperately at Kozo, who just stared at the screen grimly, his appearance of stoic professionalism unwavering. Misato then run forward towards the nearest console and put her finger down on the TALK button…

**No more!**

(SSJNYH)

"_**STOP!"**_

"M-Misato?"

"_**PLEASE STOP, SHINJI! NO MORE!"**_

Shinji froze when heard Misato's desperate, almost choked, voice call out from EVA-01's speakers.

"_Eh?"_ Nam said loudly over the JSSDF's soldier's screams. _"What did she say?"_

"_You better finish him off," _Shinji stated. _"NERV's watching us."_

"_Oh, right," _Nam said, almost absentmindedly. He then smirked, _"I forgot how weak ooman stomachs are. They should get a load of __**THIS**__! RARGGGHHH!…!"_

The soldier screamed out one last loud 'FUCK' as Nam drew his blade _upward_ out of him, splitting his torso in half and splattering blood all over himself, letting the corpse fall onto the grass. Some of the red spatter landed on Shinji, Toji and Kensuke. Kensuke had his ears covered as well as his eyes closed tightly, trying to drown out the sound of a human torso being ripped apart. Toji, however felt compelled to watch.

Shinji looked over at Toji, expressionless. He then looked away from him, scowling.

**He…they killed em' to save me and Ken. What the hell do I make of that?**

The jock heard Shinji growl in the alien dialect and one loud BZZZZZZ later Nam cloaked and disappeared. That was followed by the sounds of NERV VTOL approaching their position and Shinji collapsing against his EVA and sliding down onto the grass, finally worn out. Toji took one last look at a quietly sobbing Kensuke before the stress of the day took it's toll and he passed out.

(SSJNYH)

Kozo glimpsed down at Misato, seeing how horrified NERV's head of operations was, and still couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride in Shinji, knowing protocol demanded of civilians interference in operations such as this and what the JSSDF would have done to both Toji and Kensuke. Shinji saved them both, despite apparently disliking the two of them he would go to any lengths to protect them. To protect _anybody_ that deserved his help.

Still…

**So much blood. He was more or less baptised in it when he killed his first one.**

* * *

_And I'll leave it there. So what do you think? _

_I admit I'm thinking about changing the rating to M in line with some very adult themes surrounding Shinji's life _

_I had fun writing the battle scene between EVA-01 and Shamshel. I was actually listening to "Demolition Man" by Sting when writing/brainstorming it. Totally badass! Also JoJo's Bizarre Adventure served as inspiration for the tactics Shinji used (him catching his severed umbilical cable with his leg and using it as a flail, snapping EVA-01's horn off and using it _and_ his prog knife to pin Shamshel's tendrils to itself…totally never been done in the NGE fandom)._

_So Happy New Year, goodbye 2011...hello 2012. Now I'm going to go work on Star Fox 40,000 III for a while. Hope you see you around when I get back. :)_


	17. Chapter 16: My Name Is

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_A/N: Sorry for the wait, this was a challenge for me to write. Rating's been bumped up to M. Shinji getting bloodied more than usual as a kid and some pretty mature themes warrants that…._

…_**about**__ said mature themes: Not there for the sake of the M rating, I was planning to implement them in some way, though with M rating it'll be blunt and they'll be as explicit as I __**personally**__ can manage._

* * *

On board the executive G5 airplane en-route to Tokyo-03 Weyland sat back in his specially-designed recliner near the left-side window as he watched the footage of EVA-01 and Shamshel battling it out in Tokyo-03. He glanced over at the centre seat at his guest, Gendo, watching the screen with his familiar look of cold interest. He smirked and looked back at the screen in time to see EVA-01 finish off Shamshel, it's reverse grip on it's blade and horn and using them to pin the Angel's tendril to itself impressing him the most.

The door into the cabin opened…

"I fast forwarded the footage after he gets out of the EVA, found the part with him, two of his school buddies, the JSSDF, his wrist-blades and one of his _friends_. The pilot of Evangelion Unit 01 is a vicious little bastard all right."

Gendo looked up from his seat to see the 6'3 muscled man in his late fifties with a buzzcut wearing a formal mercenary uniform.

**Colonel Alan Schaefer, former United States Army Special Forces. Austrian-born naturalised American. Supposed alien-encounter survivor where the rest of his Special Forces team were wiped out in the jungles near what used to be called Val Verde.**

**Now commander of TRIDENT Company, a PMC made famous during the Valentine War for engaging JSSDF forces targeting civilian sectors without orders. He garnered a fierce reputation for single-handedly killing dozens of Japanese soldiers in one battle and for personally tearing out a JSSDF officer's throat out with his bare hands after the officer had ordered his men to fire on civilians. **

**TRIDENT is currently under contract to Weyland Corporation, soon to be Weyland-**_**Yutani **_**once the merger with Yutani Corporation is complete at the end of the week. Through my authority as Commander of NERV Weyland will be bringing an entire private army into Tokyo-03 to find those beasts Shinji calls his kin.**

"Schaefer," Gendo acknowledged the man in his best-sounding English.

"_Your_ bastard if I'm not mistaken," the Austrian-born naturalised American man frowned down at him. "Ikari."

"Hardly, Colonel," Weyland said to him. "His parents _were_ married."

Gendo frowned when the man he despised the most emphasised _were_.

"Weyland..."

He turned to the CEO of Weyland Industries and pushed the Fast Forward button on the screen, forwarding to the part of the footage where Shinji's Predator comrade appeared to skewer the second JSSDF officer. He briefly glanced at Gendo, and thought his briefly raised eyebrows were a trick of the eyes.

"You really want to do this?" Schaefer eyeballed Nam. "One wrong move and what's left of Tokyo…"

He crossed his arms.

"...you get the idea? "

"Yes," Weyland said. "We only need one of them, and Shinji's our only lead. This is too good an opportunity to pass up to finally get our hands on _their_ tech."

"_He_ will try to stop you, you know that," Gendo pointed out, bluntly.

"Of course he will," Weyland retorted. "Unless we appeals to his…let's say…_sensibilities_."

Schaefer snorted, "So long if it isn't Ikari during the appealing we should be fine."

**He doesn't like me.**

"We'll continue to monitor him. And once he finds himself in a situation he can't get out of himself," Weyland explained. "_You'll_ be there to pull him out of it."

Schaefer nodded and said, utter seriousness in his voice, "We'll be ready."

"Any objections?" Weyland turned to Gendo. "All this involves _your_ son."

"No," came Gendo's quick response.

"Thought not," Weyland responded, darkly.

**They mock me. **

**Because of Shinji, **_**because**_** of Yui, they mock me.**

* * *

Chapter 16 – My Name Is… (Year 3, Age 9)

* * *

**I was about nine cycles when Gaun and Merl'we brought me amongst the other hunters of the clan, the first time I found myself within the metallic, almost monastic-looking walls of the settlement. My life on Earth by then was just a distant memory. I don't know how, or when, it happened but to me that cave I slept in, the weapons I trained with, my scars, Merl'we…and Mother, were all I knew.**

**The other hunters couldn't stand me, always calling me that 'Lou-dte Kalei's pet ooman', 'toy' or 'future stud.' I didn't know what those **_**words**_** meant back then…**

**But just hearing them made angry enough to raise a fist to them…**

(SSJNYH)

Standing in the centre of the main plaza Shinji's left fist ached badly, having just given the Yautja pup his own age and lying on the steel ground a black right eye. Though he was at a foot taller than the ooman convert, Kur had been taken completely by surprise not a second after he told the Pyode Amedha tetch'na pup what the term 'stud breeder' meant. He was confident that the ooman, weak as he is, would burst into tears and run into the arms of the other hunter female that accompanied him. Instead the ooman known as Shinji socked him in the face, in plain full view of other Yautja, mostly other females, and their pups.

Shinj's face was reddened with anger as he looked down at the frightened Yautja pup. Merl'we stood some feet away, visibly amused by Shinji's one-hit takedown of the larger bully.

"I'm…" Shinji hissed, gritting his teeth and clenching a fist. "I'm _**not**_ a stud!"

He then looked confused.

'What's a stud?' he asked himself, having not let Kur finish what it meant to be a _stud_.

"Hear hear!" Merl'we cheered him on and stepped up to him. She then glared down at Kur, "I think Gaun prefers _older_ males her own _species_, pup."

"Huh?" Shinji turned to Merl'we, confused.

**As if ooman males can match a female hunter's stamina anyway, heh…**

Kur wiped his face and stared up at her accusingly, "That's what my _sire_ says!"

"And you believe what that drunken hac'nikt tells you?" Merl'we crossed her arms. "How'd you manage to earn your name in the first place, _Kur_?"

A loud authoritative roar was heard and the crowd moved. Merl'we felt a chill run down the back of her spine, put a hand on Shinji's shoulder and held her to him.

**Oh cho't, it's the Arbitrators!**

Three older-looking Yautja outfitted in ornate armour approached the Huntress, her ooman companion and the pup with the black eye lying on the ground and whom was shakily starting to stand back up.

"What is going on here?" the leader Arbitrator demanded, waving a sword at both Gaun and Shinji. "Explain yourselves?"

"THAT LITTLE PYODE AMEDHA HIT ME IN THE…" Kur yelled over at the Arbitrators, but another roar silenced him.

"I asked _her, _Unblood!"

He indicated Merl'we.

"Speak!"

Merl'we snorted and indicated Kur, "That little drop of Kainde Amedha te'dqi tried to define 'stud' to my little friend here…"

She smirked, now confident that they can get away with this.

"…he didn't take it well.

The Arbitrator stared down at Shinji, who stared back up at him, eyes narrowed as if with determination. He regarded the little nine-year-old ooman child and wondered how it…_he_…could have possibly survived three years here.

"Hmm."

He then proceeded to smack Kur upside the head, stunning him.

"Fool! You had only earned your name one cycle ago and aggravate an _ooman_ pup and let _it_ dominate you?" the Arbitrator bitterly declared out loud.

Merl'we sniggered lightly, but immediately put on a straight face when the Arbitrators turned back to her, where she received a hard glare.

"Keep your little…pet…on a tighter leash," the lead Arbitrator commanded. "The Elder tolerates it, and by order so must we."

He then approached the two of them.

"But that can only go _so_ far!"

He then about faced and walked away in the opposite direction, his colleagues following close behind. Shinji stared up at Merl'we, taken back by the look of surprise on her face.

"Wow…" Merl'we said, still smiling. "That was pretty painless."

Shinji felt her lightly tap his shoulders.

"Let's go."

(SSJNYH)

This was Shinji's first time within the walls and halls of the almost sprawling Yautja settlement that had been built into the side of the canyon wall. It was a combination of living quarters for single hunters and family units, technological workshops, training areas, vegetation and livestock habitats. Steel platforms, balconies, walkways and mostly shaded outdoor areas were built into the side of the structure, with one massive bridge extending all the while to the plateau located in the centre of the canyon where most of the clans ceremonies, matters of law and order and Unblood trials took place.

Right now Shinji and Merl'we were walking down a hall of the single living quarters. Merl'we growled lightly as unpleasant memories begun to come back to her when she remembered how she traversed this same hallway almost five years ago, part of a series of events that led right up to _that_ night. Shinji noticed this, the only thing he could hear were the sounds of his, Merl'we faint chatter.

**She looks pretty...uncomfortable. Wonder what's up?**

"Who are we seeing again?" Shinji asked.

"An old…let's say, _minor_ acquaintance of mine," Merl'we stated, almost sounding like she was grounding out each word as if they were poison. "Gaun's asked him to add some variety to your training and she's asked _me_ to get him off his oversized, lazy ass."

Shinji stared up at her confused, "Why?"

Merl'we snorted, "She said it's something _I need to do_."

She noticed Shinji still staring up at him, as if waiting for her to continue. She rolled her eyes

**Yeah, she's pretty uncomfortable. **

"And he knows we're coming to see him and he better not have any _company_ over," Merl'we put definite emphasis on _company_. "Dirty perverted tetch'na piece of….HERE we are!"

They soon stood outside one of the hexagonal-shaped doorways. Merl'we closed her eyes, sighed and extended her hand to touch the buzzer. After holding the button in for ten seconds she let her hand drop. Shinji watched as Merl'we continued to look uncomfortable, before she resorted to reaching for her mask that was tied to her belt and putting it on, as if to hide her face.

"You mind not looking up at me like some lost hound, pup?" Merl'we grumbled down at him.

The door opened, Shinji's eyes flew open in shock and his face immediately reddened…

**OH!**

"What do _you_ want?"

…when it was a completely naked, nine-foot tall, yellow-skinned green speckled female Yautja with dread-locked hair reaching down the length of her back that conveniently covered his breasts that answered the door. Merl'we immediately grabbed Shinji by his right arm, covered Shinji's eyes with her left hand and growled lightly.

"Who is it, H'achi?"

Before the female, H'achi, could answer…

"Gaun sent me!" Merl'we snarled.

"Merl'we? Oh pauk me!"

Next a very tall, familiar looking male Yautja wearing only a loincloth appeared. And that served to infuriate Merl'we even more and increase her hold on her ooman companion.

"OW!" Shinji cried. "That hurt, Merl'we!"

Nam smiled sheepishly at the mask, ill-tempered female, "Er…guess I forgot you and Gaun's pet ooman were coming over today!"

"Yeah…"

Merl'we turned back to H'achi.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did," Merl'we growled. "Heard this Lou-dte Kalei really knows her way around the bedroom and the male or...!"

She stopped herself when she remembered that Shinji was still there. The ooman boy was starting appear uncomfortable with each passing second.

**What the…? **

H'achi looked offended, "W-what did you say abou…?"

Merl'we tore her mask off and gave the female a hard glare, "You riding every hunter in the clan is not exactly a secret! Now get your clothes on and piss off…!"

He glared over at Nam.

"Nam's got business he's supposed to be attending too."

Nam still appeared sheepish, "Yeah, sorry about that."

Shell-shocked, H'achi stepped away from the door, leaving Nam standing there, still smiling.

Incensed, Merl'we growled, "You too, you perverted hac'nikt!"

"Alright, alright!" Nam stepped to the side out of view.

Merl'we lightly pushed Shinji to the side, his back touching the wall next to the door. Merl'we appeared apologetic as she let go of Shinji.

"Sorry about all that," she sounded genuine. "You ok?"

"I…" Shinji tried to make his mouth work. "Wh-what just happened?"

"I really have no idea either, pup."

(SSJNYH)

**The other Predator that shaped me was Nam. Met him the moment I stepped onto the homeworld. Veteran of almost a hundred expeditions, slayer of twice that number and, rumour has it, bedded females almost twice **_**that**_** number…a claim Gaun and Merl'we **_**suggested**_** I don't think too hard on, or try to imitate…ever!**

**Nam valued overwhelming force against his prey rather than precision and I think some of that may have rubbed off of me when piloting EVA-01. Actually, it definitely rubbed off on me if what remained of the 3****rd**** Angel before it exploded is any indication.**

**While on the subject of bedding twice the number of his kills - according to Gaun and Merl'we he revelled in being prime breeder stud material, completely self-absorbed and utterly shameless. **_**That**_** definitely didn't rub off on me. **

**Gaun made double sure of that…**

(SSJNYH)

BONK!

"OW!"

Nam rubbed his aching forehead where Gaun had just struck him over the head with a Japenese wooden training sword, the bokken. Merl'we smirked behind her mask while Shinji couldn't keep an amused smile off his face.

"Should I ask why you did _that_?" Nam groaned.

"For not remembering our appointment," Gaun gripped the wooden bokken, tapping her free palm with it. "You owed me a favour, I called it in. One of your _mates_ answered the door with Shinji standing there..."

Shinji rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, blushing lightly.

"Y-yeah," he stuttered lightly. "I was…er…there..."

"I covered his eyes though!" Merl'we added and padded Shinji's shoulder awkwardly. "Definitely not going to end up a pervert by pencil-hood there!"

**If all goes well it'll be **_**my**_** job to get him interested in females…the RIGHT way! **

"I resent _that_," Nam whined. "Anyway…"

(SSJNYH)

The large male Hunter now appeared serious.

"…you're seriously considering making him earn _a_ name?"

"Huh?" Shinji said.

Nam and Gaun turned to him. Gaun was the first to explain.

"The Hunters of this clan are not given names at birth. We must earn the right to be noticed, to have worth, to be referred to by name."

Nam was next, "Worse for you. In the eyes of the clan you're _not _part of it, even as a nameless pup. They wouldn't refer to you by your _ooman_ name. Only as an animal, a pet, a servant, an _ooman_ pup."

Shinji was taken aback by this revelation. He then glanced at Gaun.

"Owned by the clan pariah and misfit kind of adds to it!"

Merl'we sighed, "Yeah _that_ will do it."

"So...?" Shinji trailed off.

"So you need to earn yourself a Predator Name if you want to treated somewhat as an equal here," Nam explained, arms crossed as he stepped up to Shinji and towered above him.

"Every pup earns their name and the title Unblood around their ninth or tenth cycle," Gaun explained. "The training I've been putting you through is in preparation for the Unblood Chiva in two weeks time."

"Chiva?"

"Yeah," Merl'we got on one knee next to Shinji, looking him dead in the eye. "It might be what you oomans call a _ku...mite_? A _**kumite**_! You would be facing off against multiple opponents your age, each having spent the same amount years like you training. And the grand prize…"

She smirked.

"…you get to receive the _esteemed_ rank of Unblood, the opportunity for advanced training, and the privilege of receiving your _name_."

Shinji gulped, "I…I'll be fighting other…people?"

"_Your_ age," Nam reminded him. "And each wanting the privilege of picking their own names too."

Gaun approached him and stared down at her, arms crossed, "Of course you must decide if you wish to do this…"

Shinji showed no hesitation when he blurted out, "Yes!"

**I want people to be proud of me for something!**

Nam tilted his head slightly, "Really?"

"Yes!" Shinji exclaimed.

**I wanna do something right!**

Nam smirked, "Well, how about that?"

He turned to Gaun, left hand reaching towards his back.

"Looks like we're going to be doing this after all."

Shinji turned to Gaun, only to quickly face Nam again…

"AHHHH!"

…his hands raising themselves by instinct to catch a sickle-shaped throwing blade between his palms, the point inches away from his left eye.

"SHINJI!" Merl'we cried out with genuine surprise, not to mention horror.

Nam smirked, "Quick reflexes? Impressive."

Shinji relaxed his palms and let the blade fall to the ground, breathing harshly from fright. Merl'we glared over at Nam, then at Gaun. The older Huntress appeared indifferent, which served to infuriate Merl'we.

"You saw what he just did?"

Gaun nodded, "And I expected nothing less from Shinji."

Nam walked over to Shinji, placed his hand on his shoulder and shoved him backward. Shinji however kept his balance and didn't fall over backward.

Growing increasingly serious, his tone of voice laced with venom. "You sure you're prepared for this?"

(SSJNYH)

Shinji gritted his teeth and glared up at Nam.

"Yes!" Shinji exclaimed up at him, being shoved getting a rise out of him.

**Gaun's definitely ignited a spark within this ooman pup.**

"Then I'll be back tomorrow," Nam stated. "And believe me, what Gaun's being teaching you up to now will be nothing compared to the scars I'll be inflicting on you."

Shinji briefly appeared worried, glancing over at Gaun who stared back at him, eyes narrowed. He then focused on Nam and frowned.

Shinji nodded. Nam smirked…

"Alright, then."

He then turned and left, heading in the direction of the settlement. Merl'we turned to Gaun, feeling the need to confront her about her indifference to Nam imposing over Shinji…

Gaun surprised her by asking, "I am surprised in you, Merl'we."

"Aren't you, Nyaka-de?" Merl'we shot back.

Gaun became silent, then looked at Shinji who just stood there watching Nam leave, contemplation on his face. Merl'we noticed the same look on her face as she regarded Shinji silently.

(SSJNYH)

**Warrior Gaun** **at a loss for words? C'jit, never seen anything like that before. These three years with him clutching her loincloth, what is that little ooman doing to this woman? I thought she adopted him just to prove some point the Mad Elder rambled about, and not let herself…**

**Act like a bearer…? A mother?**

**Later we weren't even about to sit down around the fire when Shinji popped the question…**

Sitting around the fire in the cave Shinji looked over at Gaun as she filled a cup full of water from a clay jug before she sat down. Merl'we had just entered the cave when Shinji opened his mouth…

"Gaun?"

"Yes, Shinji?"

"What's a stud?"

Gaun's felt her cup slip out of hand and land on the ground while Merl'we froze awkwardly. The older female looked at Shinji, showing a rare look of disbelief on her face, then glared over at Merl'we.

"Hey, don't look at me!" Merl'we exclaimed. "That little tetch'na Kur brought it up while trying to pick a fight with him again! Besides…"

She smiled nervously.

"Isn't Shinji around that time of age to know about these things?"

"What things?" Shinji asked, interested.

Gaun sat cross-legged on the ground, closed her eyes and sighed with her head bowed slightly.

"I suppose there is no way around this," Gaun said. "You asked me what a stud is?"

Shinji scratched his head. "Ah…yeah?"

"I will tell you," Gaun said. "A stud is…"

**Gaun tells Shinji what a 'breeder stud' is, just telling him that they just help females produce young. Unfortunately the little pup can't stop himself from asking questions. This leads to Gaun explaining what two Hunters do when they love each other, or when they want to just blow off some stress...sans the physical stuff. Shinji looks all the more confused, maybe even a little uncomfortable.**

**She looked like she was ready to describe the more physical aspects of it…**

"…the rest I will tell you when you are biologically capable of doing it yourself."

Merl'we looked outraged, "You're leaving it _there_?"

Gaun glared at Merl'we and the younger Huntress frowned back.

"Fine I'll tell him!"

She then smiled at Shinji, who smiled nervously back at her as he shrunk away slightly from her. Gaun rolled her eyes and sighed.

'And she has to be…creepy about it,' Gaun thought. 'She's shameless…'

Gaun sounded playful as she explained, "You see Shinji when it comes to mating the male put his...you know…organ…"

Shinji's blushed heavily she when referred to a guy's…_organ._

"…in a female's proug'nik…"

Gaun was still glaring at Merl'we, who immediately stopped speaking and felt a chill run down his spine. She then looked down at Shinji, who was listening quite attentively…

**Why am I suddenly fearing for my life now?**

She begun to fear for her life, "Actually, Gaun's right…when you're older."

Shinji stared down at hie knees, "O-ok…"

"However," Gaun interjected. "There is _one_ thing you should know…"

"What's that?"

"Do you understand what _rape_ is?"

Merl'we's eyes widened with horror, "Oh no…"

**Gaun did this to **_**me**_** when **_**I**_** was nine cycles. Gaun looked hesitant for a second…then explains it to him (she was **_**never**_** hesitant about explaining it to me). She doesn't mention the adult stuff, instead declaring it as the most evil violation one could commit against another's body, which for someone to force themselves on anyone immediately warrants them death! Death, that should not come easy or quickly for them. They must suffer more than they made **_**their**_** victims suffer; suffer to their final breaths…**

**Her exact words.**

**I've never seen Shinji turn whiter **_**than**_** a sheet like that, Gaun's words completely terrifying him. But from this day forward, he'll be a little wiser about the darker things in the universe…**

(SSJNYH)

The next day, under Gaun's watchful scrutiny…

"YAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Shinji shouted his war cry as best as his lungs could manage as he charged Nam, holding his tanto with both hands and bringing it towards Nam's arm-length extendable blade, both blades connecting.

Nam smirked, "You're supposed to be trying to hit _me_, ooman!"

With much strength Nam lifted his blade upward, against Shinji's tanto and pushed him to the ground. Shinji gritted his teeth and reached behind his loincloth, drawing Nam's interest…

"Oh…"

"YAH!"

Shinji then hurled a shuriken that popped out it's wave shaped blades as it hurtled towards Nam's face. Nam reached to catch it between the fingers of his right hand, Shinji ceasing this momentary distraction to charge, holding the tanto in a reverse grip and swinging it towards Nam's stomach. The larger Yautja male roared and swung his arm-blade, aiming to nick Shinji's across the face.

Seeing the massive blade come towards him he bent over backwards quickly enough so that he landed on his back right underneath Nam and jabbed his tanto at Nam's right leg. Anticipating this Nam raised his leg, the tanto skimming past his heel. Shinji's eyes widened, the Hunter dodging all of his moves…and he was rewarded with a sharp kick to the face that sent him skidding across the rough rocky ground. The side of his face bruised with blood blisters forming, Shinji tried to withhold from screaming in again, biting down on his tongue enough to draw blood.

It didn't work, he cried out in agony and begun sobbing. Gaun briefly appeared uncomfortable, before repressing it and continuing to observe.

"Stop crying!"

Shinji heard Nam admonishing him and the tears ceased.

"Gaun's been teaching you tactics, right?" Nam walked towards him. "Useless…absolutely c'jit. What she teaches you…"

And then smirked.

"…and the teacher herself."

WHACK!

"OFFffffffff…"

Almost in a flash Shinji was up on his feet and Nam felt his sandaled foot make impact between his legs, anger on his bloodied face.

"DON'T CALL HER _THAT_!" Shinji shouted angrily up at him, "Ahh…"

Shinji fell over backward, hand on his forehead, as the concussion made him pass out while Nam fell onto his knees, hands on his genitals.

**Cho't! I was **_**too**_** rough on him…I'm in for it now!**

"Owwwwww…" he groaned, then looked over his shoulder. "You taught him _that_?"

Gaun walked forward towards Shinji, stating, "I merely told him what the more _vulnerable_ parts of a male were."

She then unceremoniously punched him in the back of the head, knocking him face first into the rocky ground. She then picked Shinji up and cradled him in her arms.

"If there is a repeat of today's lesson you will receive worse from _me_," Gaun growled without even realising it. "Understand…"

With one hand massaging his nads and the other the top of his head Nam nodded, "Fine…won't knock him out so soon in the future."

"Good."

He watched her leave with the little ooman in his arms, scrutinizing her silently whilst still in pain from Shinji's sack whack…

**Gaun never showed concern for another being. She has the feelings, sure, but never expressing them…until she brought that once frail-looking ooman back…**

**Said ooman once was also scared looking, now not so much frail and having just driven his foot into my sack despite being concussed, looking he was ready to go for my throat. **

**Just what are those two doing to one another? Ooman on his way to becoming an Unblood and Gaun…actually expressing genuine affection for another living creature?**

(SSJNYH)

"HYWARRKK…!"

Staving off the effects of the concussion Shinji suffered a bout of nausea hours later, Gaun hand on his back as he threw up outside their cave. When he was finished he collapsed in Gaun's arms.

"G-Gaun?"

"Yes, pup?"

It was heartbreaking to hear Shinji speak so softly and weakly.

"Why…did you let him do _that_ to me?"

Gaun appeared unfazed, but it took a full ten seconds for her to respond.

"I did not expect…him do to that," Gaun confessed emotionlessly. "He will not do it again, though."

"O-oh…"

Shinji smiled weakly.

"That's…ok, then…"

Gaun mentally sighed…

**Delirious**

He passed out. Gaun sighed and stood up…

**Is this…why I never had pups of my own? To continually just hurt him, or just stand by and do nothing while other people hurt him? All the for the sake of preparing them for what cosmic horrors this damned universe may throw at them?**

**Is being a bearer really **_**that**_** cruel?**

She then retreated back into their cave, where shortly after they bedded down for the night.

(SSJNYH)

**I wasn't out of action for long. The concussion faded the next morning.**

**A whole week's worth of agony, pain and frustration then passed by me. Nam was truly a relentless, unforgiving teacher. He never inflicted another concussion on me, but he did give me three more scars: On my stomach, over my left femur and across the small of my back…from that freakish arm-length extendable blade of his over three lessons.**

**Gaun and Merl'we continued to train me, teaching me to evade and counter their timed, more delicate blows. And afterward I learnt how to withstand Nam's predictable, yet relentless assaults, all the while thinking he was going to kill me.**

**Memories of Earth slowly became more distant. One day I forgot the names of my auntie and uncle…but never my sire…NEVER my sire…**

**Gendo Ikari. Once during training when I thought about him I felt…angry…**

**Heh, angry…**_**righhhhhtttt**_**…understatement of the **_**century**_**!**

(SSJNYH)

"RAAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

Shinji slashed Nam across the chest with his tanto, once again catching the bigger male by surprise, spilling glowing green blood all over the stain ground where he and his trainers had their sessions. A mixture of dried green and red…the red all his blood.

"Pauk!" Nam cursed out loud from behind his mask. "That hurt you little tetch'na!"

The ooman snarled and dodged his backhand, then opened his mouth and bit his pointer finger, teeth biting down hard enough for him to be lifted. Angered, Nam flicked him with his right finger in the forehead, inactively causing him to let go and fall to the ground. He then felt himself pinned down by Nam's right foot.

Nam ran his left hand across his chest and grunted. "Training's finished for the day! Why did you attack me?"

Shinji gritted his teeth, "Angry…"

"What?"

"I'M ANGRY!" Shinji yelled like a little, spoilt brat.

"At who?"

"GENDO IKARI!" Shinji closed his eyes shut, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes as he screamed out loud. "HE SHOULDN'T HAVE LEFT ME!"

Nam looked over at Gaun and Merl'we, the two masked females exchanging confused slanted heads.

"Who is this _Gendo Ikari_?" Merl'we queried.

Gaun lowered her head and thought about it.

'Ikari is Shinji's _other_ name, so it must be another of his relatives,' she mentally pondered. 'And if his sudden, unprovoked attack on Nam is any indication, he hold much anger…no…fury, against him.'

She then narrowed her eyes, thinking she figured it out.

'His _sire_.'

(SSJNYH)

**At that point I was already angry at Gendo for abandoning me. The rage started about two years after he left me once the sadness faded away. This was the first time I expressed it.**

**Gaun started to treat me differently. She called me 'pup' more often, always made sure I was fed before she dug in and no longer struck me during our spars, always with the light taps that sent me landing on my ass; it never drew blood, never left a bruise, a mark or even redness.**

**Halfway through the second week I finally learnt something about her…**

(SSJNYH)

All sweaty and bruised from the day's training Shinji was lying on his back, watching the slowly fading orange sky. Nam sitting beside him, nursing the cuts Shinji managed to inflict on him with the tanto.

"Hey Nam?"

Nam looked over at him, "Yeah?"

"Can you tell me anything about Gaun?"

The Yautja looked over at Shinji, surprised. "Eh? You don't know anything at all about your caretaker for the past three cycles?"

Shinji slowly and painfully sat up and rubbed the back of his head, "I've…been too scared to. Everyone doesn't like her, and she won't tell me why."

Nam sighed and tapped his forehead. His mandibles clicked, "With good reason. It's too much for you to handle."

Shinji shook his head, "It won't, honest! I've heard worse…"

**Like what **_**rape**_** is.**

"Alright…reason why not many Hunters don't like Gaun…

He rolled his eyes and muttered…

"…beside the undeniable fact she's a female and is way better than a lot of them put together…"

He resumed speaking normally.

"…is because she is the spawn of a Bad Blood."

Shinji's eyes widened with that definition.

"B-Bad Blood?"

"Her father from this clan had been abducted by those freakish 'Super Predators' about fifty years ago. These are the kind of scum that would abduct prey and dump them on some reservation rather than kill them on their own turf and risk their own cowardly hides.'

Shinji arched an eyebrow at that.

_**Super**_** Predators?**

"He was barely a full-blooded Hunter when he had a run in with the Bad Bloods on an excursion and had the misfortune of being selected by one of their females as a breeder stud."

Shinji felt a chill run up his spine.

"Y-you mean he was…"

"Yes!" Nam growled. "The Lou-dte Kalei forced _herself_ on _him_! And made him give her a pup!"

Shinji looked away from him, and Nam could see that ooman youngling had once again turned white as a sheet from fright. Nam didn't blame him, the very _thought_ of a Super Predator female raping a male would frighten anyone.

"Wh-what's that go to do with Gaun?" Shinji slowly asked.

"It is the same c'jit with parentage, bloodline purity and all that garbage! The rest of the clan look at her as if she's got some demon living inside her. They hate, and fear her!"

Shinji almost jumped when she heard Merl'we speak up and sit down next to him.

"Merl'we?"

The Predator female shook her head, "Gaun's dad eventually escaped…with _his_ pup: Gaun. Guess he felt sorry for her, did not blame her for anything."

Shinji's eyebrows raised, "Gaun's father...?"

"He killed himself afterwards, left her in the care of the Elder…the MAD Elder much to her continued misfortune," Nam stated. "Guess the shame of being forced on by a female was too much."

He snorted again.

"I'd probably do the same to myself, though not the way he killed himself."

Shinji looked at him, now utterly horrified.

"H-how..?"

Nam sighed, "He gutted himself the same way as those Sam-u-rai he admired so much did. What do they call it? Oh right…_Seppuku_!"

Tears begun to well in Shinji's eyes…

**Gaun told me what Bad Bloods were: That they're criminals, murderers, cheaters, dishonourable Hunters…**

**And rapists…**

…  
…

**No wonder she never tells me anything about herself. She's always been silent…**

**This is too much…**

He then suddenly felt himself lifted off the ground by Merl'we.

"I think that's enough for today," Merl'we said, almost hurried. "Me and Shinji got fish to spear!"

As they turned to walk away, Nam grinned and called out to her, "Do not start feeling sorry for her, pup! How else would she, _and_ you, ended up here alive and well?"

Shinji stopped walking and turned around, the colour returning to his form.

"Huh?"

"No male will touch her, henceforth she'll never have pups of her own," Nam stated. "You may have just remedied _that_."

Shinji stood there, mouth agape. Merl'we looked down at Shinji, at Nam in disbelief, that the male borderline degenerate could have said something mildly heart-warming.

"Uh…" Merl'we was at lost for words. "Er…"

She saw that Shinji was still shaken.

"You alright, Shinji."

"Huh?" Shinji looked back at her. He then smiled lightly, "Y-yeah, thanks."

**No not really.**

(SSJNYH)

**The day finally came…**

(SSJNYH)

Gaun watched Shinji as he strapped his miniature spaulders, couters and armour-lined loincloth. He then tied a white bandana with a red circle around his head. He then turned around and presented himself to his master, guardian and friend.

He smiled, "How 's this?"

The Huntress nodded, "You look like you are ready to earn your name."

Shinji's smile disappeared and he pointed at his bandanna, "Why do I have to wear _this_, though?"

"You should honour your ancestors one last time before you discard them forever once you given your name and place in our clan," Gaun explained. "You owe them that much I suppose."

Shinji raised an eyebrow, "Y-you mean the Samurai?"

"Yes."

"_What_ do I owe them?"

"The line you distilled from over hundreds or maybe _thousands_ of years in the making," Gaun explained. "The same line you will continue, this time abiding by _our_ traditions."

Shinji blushed at the implications of that, despite not having been briefed on the physical aspects of it.

**I'm gonna have to be **_**close**_** with someone…else, she says. I wonder how that works?**

"But not right now," Gaun said. "Now is the time for you to earn that right. Are you ready?"

Shinji nodded, and the Huntress could see a look of determination on his young face.

"I'm ready."

(SSJNYH)

Most, if not half, the clan had turned out for the Unblood Chiva that was held this day on the large plateau in the centre of the canyon. Sires and bearers accompanied their male pups and potential Unbloods, each lightly armed with knives, clubs and wearing leather guards on their shoulders, elbows knees and extremities. Nam gazed over at the pups, equalling about thirty or forty, and couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

**Bet the first one to challenge Shinji write him off as a piece of Pyode Amedha, charge him, slashes away at him. Shinji counter his blows, takes him down with one blow and wins…**

He then looked off to the bridge connecting the plateau to the rest of the settlement.

**Speaking of which…**

(SSJNYH)

"Gaun! What are _you_ doing here?"

"Razor Sword."

The Hunter with the job of greeting the Unblood candidates, their bearers and sires known as Razor Sword appeared vehement with Gaun's presence outside the bridge that led to the plateau. He looked as if he were about to burst a blood vessel when he was Shinji outfitted in leather armour.

"And what is _that_ thing doing here?" he demanded.

Gaun smirked, enjoying making the vain Yautja male squirm, "He's exercising his right to be given recognition for managing to survive three years outside his system of origin."

Razor Sword growled, "I'll reserve judgement…"

He extended is wrist blade.

"…on THAT!"

And thrust it towards Shinji…stopping it shy of piercing the ooman's eyes. Razor Sword was shocked to see Shinji not having blinked, or even flinched, by this act of aggression. He narrowed his eyes vehemently when Shinji begun glaring up at him.

"And what may _that_ be?" Gaun asked. "Your judgement, that is?"

Razor Sword glared at her, "Even if you hadn't brought this ooman here you're still not welcome back here…"

"Gaun!"

All eyes turned to see the High Elder approach, flanked by two Arbitrators.

"Elder," Razor Sword bowed.

Ignoring him, the Elder stated, "So the ooman is ready to prove he is not prey after all?"

"That's up to him," Gaun indicated Shinji.

The ooman boy nodded, "I'm ready."

Gaun then shoved past Razor Sword, Shinji following after her. The Elder watched them leave, intently.

"You are letting that fraud back onto the plateau?" Razor Sword enquired heatedly. "After tainting it by bringing the Pyode Amedha onto it three cycles ago?"

"If the ooman is beaten this day, we can consider the matter closed," the Elder explained. "If _it_ dies, Gaun must accept that."

"What if _it_ earns the right to be named?" Razor Sword demanded.

"Then the Mad Elder _may_ have been onto something."

(SSJNYH)

Gaun and Shinji were bombarded by glares from all the other mothers and their children, both the competition and those there to watch, psyching them up for when they would participate in their own Unblood Chivas, following their bearers example and immediately writing Shinji off. Gaun looked unfazed as she and Shinji followed the High Elder, then stopping to kneel before him in both respect and submission.

Eyes closed Shinji noticed the stares…

**They hate her. They hate her because of her mom?**

"Open your eyes, ooman!"

Shinji heard the Elder growl at him and he opened them instantly, but looking straight at the ground.

"Look at me!"

Shinji complied, and felt the shiver run down his spine when the Elder's piercing eyes looking into the eye. He frowned back at him. They stared at one another for another few second before the Elder grunted.

"You may try to earn your name, ooman," the Elder acknowledged. "Now rise."

Gaun and Shinji complied. Soon they were all led to the centre of the plateau. A large circle comprised of bones of various carnivorous animals was waiting for them and the Yautja and one ooman present were divided by the Arbitrators into two groups: Those that were competing (the Unblood candidates, all ten and eleven years old), and those that were watching (bearers, sires and the even younger pups). Before Shinji joined with the other candidates he was stopped by Gaun.

"Do you remember the last two weeks?"

Shinji nodded, "Yes."

"Do you remember everything you went through you?"

He grimaced, then he nodded again.

"Did you learn anything."

Another nod.

"Do you remember what I said that one time?"

Shinji swallowed and said. "Raw and superior demonstration of skill, determination, guile and wit leaves the longest impression on those that watch. To achieve victory is optional."

"Good. But if you _don't_ achieve victory this particular chiva?"

The ooman swallowed, "You'll go back to beating me up during our spars."

Gaun gave a rather uncharacteristic playful smile and patted his forehead, "You _have_ learnt something since your arrival here."

Despite the morbidity of Gaun's statement Shinji couldn't stop himself from smiling back. He then joined with the rest of competition, immediately standing out and finding himself on the receiving end of a couple dozen death glares. He felt like he was going to wilt under their gazes, his gut compelled him to bow his head in submission and shrink away. Surely if he were younger, and on Earth, he would have just so.

But something snapped within him. Here, living on the homeworld for three years, he knew better. He looked over his shoulder at the pups glaring at him, and returned the kindness with a glare as fierce as a nine year old ooman can manage. A few of them immediately went wide-eyed in surprise and few of them actually reeled back some.

**They shouldn't look at her **_**that**_** way.**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji expected the Elder to give a speech to the candidates, telling them, and him, a brief history of the clan, what the clan expects of them, that they must earn a name to be made a true part of the clan or something or rather. Instead the Elder passed by them, gave each of them a one over…and roared at them. A few of the pups were startled, but Shinji and everyone else just stood there, unfazed.

The Elder slanted his head, "Let us see who among you younglings are worthy of becoming an Unblood."

He then signalled to Razor Sword, who stepped forward and eyed two pups standing up front, then grunted and signalled them to step forward. All eyes turned to them as they drew their blade even before they stepped into the chiva. They then slowly begun to circle one another until…

"M-DI H'CHAK!"

…one shrill declaration from Razor Sword later both pups were trying to stick the other with their blades, instead striking each other's weapon. They then resorted to a series of thrusts, parries and countering, a testament to their training. This went on for a bit before they resumed circling around each other, then the shortest of both shoulder-charged the other, surprising his opponent and knocking him to the ground, blade falling out of his hand.

The short pup then straddled the other and begun pummelling his face into the ground. Shinji and other pups watched in morbid fascination, then up towards the adults.

He raised their eyebrows, confused…

**Isn't the guy that's getting beaten up's parents watching? Shouldn't they be trying to stop this?**

He then realised…

**Gaun is just going to stand there if I…when I…**

He shook his head and frowned, feeling that sense of determination sweep over him.

**No! I'll prove to her I'm not a waste of time! I WILL!**

The match soon ended and the unconscious, bleeding, facially-rearranged, defeated pup was dragged away by another Hunter, leaving a small trail of green blood behind him.

"The spawn of Hunter Grave Heart and J'rugar has triumphed! This round goes to HIM!"

(SSJNYH)

The 'Spawn of Hunter Grave Heart and J'rugar' let loose his own victory cry, raising his arms up towards the air, gloating. Gaun crossed her arms and shook her head.

**He underestimates Shinji. If will cost him.**

She then looked over her shoulder at Grave Heart, a reddish-brown skinned Hunter wearing only a loincloth staring his way, angrily.

"Anything to say to me, Lou-de'kalei?" he asked angrily.

"Not at the moment she doesn't!" Merl'we stepped up to him.

He then passed him and smiled at Gaun.

"Am I late?"

Gaun and Merl'we saw Shinji being made to step forward next…

(SSJNYH)

Gaun watched her protégé step up.

**Shinji steps into the chiva…**

Shinji's first opponent, a yellowish green speckled pup dressed in a black loincloth with dreads reaching his shoulders and armed with a long hunting knife was predictable. Predictable according to Nam as that he immediately wrote his very ooman opponent as something the hound dragged in and slobbered over. The pup looked Shinji over and snorted.

"What are you doing _here_, Pyode Amedha?" Shinji's opponent demanded.

**He shows no fear.**

Shinji kept silent and gripped his tanto intently. The pup glared at Shinji's reaction, feeling insulted by the human staring at him that way and switched to holding his blade in a reverse grip.

**His grip on the tanto is tight and steady…**

"You should have stayed on your craphole of a planetoid, Pyode Amedha hac'nikt!" the pup exclaimed, trying to sound tough. He then followed up with a snarl that spread his mandibles wide.

Shinji gripped his tanto and steadied his breathing, standing his ground and refusing to give any answer that the pup could understand.

**He is silent…**

"Well, say something!" the pup demanded. "You know how to speak right? That Lou'de-kalei taught you how to speak, right?"

**He prepares the trap…**

The ooman responded with an even harder glare. The pup looked shocked, then shook his head and roared, much to his bearer and sire's delight…

**He springs its…**

"DON'T LOOK AT YOUR BETTER LIKE THAT, PYODE AMEDHA! I'M GONNA CLAIM YOUR SKULL!"

**His opponents falls for it…**

…and charged at Shinji, swinging his knife upward from his hip. Shinji swerved to the left to avoid his upward slash. The pup snarled and swung again, Shinji dodging that effortlessly. The ooman mouth was set as a thin line of determination as he begun dodging the pups slashes, before finally blocking with his tanto, both blades connecting.

The pup gasped, "Y-you're ooman blade! _My_ blade's steel _should_ have shattered…"

**The tanto's original steel shattered fifty years ago…**

Without taking the time to contemplate that revelation Shinji reared his right fist back and punched him in the forehead, sending his staggering backward. Shinji roared…

**It was reforged in our steel**

"RAAAARGGGHHHHH!"

…and threw himself at the pup, driving his knee upward into his chest and knocking his down as well as the wind right out of him. The pup's knife fell to the rocky ground amidst the outrage and stunned cries of the crowd gathered, the pup's bearer wailing loud in anger while his sire just stood there looking angry – not at Shinji, but at his son.

Shinji squatted, tanto pointed down at the pup's neck, it's hilt in Shinji's right palm. The pointy end was just shy of an inch from the pup's throat.

"Give up…or else!" Shinji growled, his voice being heard for the first time and loud enough for everyone to hear.

**Just as **_**he**_** was reforged here on the homeworld…**

Everything became silent as the pup shivered under Shinji's menacing glare, an accomplishment given his age.

"I-I give up," the pup muttered weakly, in shock.

Satisfied, Shinji stood up, tanto now held in a reverse grip. After getting over the surprise that the ooman actually defeated his opponent, the proctor stepped back onto the circle.

"The apprentice of Warrior Gaun has defeated the spawn of Nian'da and Warrior B'ithros, making _**him**_ the victor!"

Reactions were mixed amongst the spectators, with the adults grumbling and snarling amongst themselves about the travesty of an ooman child defeating a supposedly superior Yautja pup. The other Unblood candidates were each quickly reassessing their ooman opponent, some of them quietly sweating bullets about the shame that awaited them if a ooman was allowed to beat them. The youngest pups in the clan, those that are not competing, each felt their interest and awe of the ooman growing by the second.

Nam chuckled, "Predictable."

"What is?" Gaun asked.

He waved his hand over the crowd, "How he downed his first opponent. I think they're going to be taking him seriously _now_."

(SSJNYH)

**Hours passed and the chiva continued on. Pups fell to one another's blades, clubs and fists. My opponents each gradually become tougher, but I defeated them all. I could look at their stances, eye movements and…well…I could just look at them and know what their next move will be. And I scored a few cuts, bruises and one pup threw a shuriken at me that he hid in his loincloth that re-opened the scar on my left cheek. Match was called immediately and he was disqualified for using advanced weaponry instead of only the blade. His sire beat the crap out of him the second he was forced out of the circle…**

**Those few **_**cuts**_** continued and right up to my final opponent, the 'Spawn of Hunter Grave Heart and J'rugar'. That pup defeated his opponents almost as brutally, if not more, than I did. By the time I faced him I was a mess…**

**If…if Gendo or even mom could have seen me…**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji stood over his latest victory, panting and bleeding all over his body from so many cuts that, while each were minor, bled enough to make it look like he had lost pints. He looked down at his fallen opponent, reached down and pulled his blade out from the pup's shoulder, green blood spurting up into his face. He then wiped the blade on his loincloth, the pup's _green_ mixing with his _red_.

"Winner! The apprentice of Gaun!"

His ears perked when he heard _cheering_…cheering from the pups that had been watching him smash the opposition, much to their parents chagrin. Shinji looked their way, and smiled lightly.

'This…feels good,' he thought. 'Very good.'

"GRAH! Those little idiots cheering _you_ on?"

'Spawn of Hunter Grave Heart and J'rugar' next stepped into the chiva, equally as bloodied as he was.

"They are," Shinji replied, still panting and putting a hand to the cut on his chest to try to stem the bleeding.

"Don't worry," the pup smiked. "They will be nice and quiet once you hit the floor. That will give you peace and quiet while you sleep…"

He gripped his blade.

"…in DEATH!"

Shinji turned to the side and spat blood. His eyes widened, seeing that he just spat blood; then looked at his palm.

'How much blood have I lost?' he thought, doubt once again finding it's way into him. 'I'm still standing…'

They heard the authoritative bellow come from the proctor and they immediately assumed their Jehdin Jehdin stances…

"M-DI H'CHAK!"

…and the pup charged Shinji, immediately swinging his knife like crazy. Shinji readied his blade to counter it, then the pup who just a foot away from Shinji suddenly dropped his knife, then launched a straight punch that struck Shinji in the left eye, blackening it almost immediately. This took Shinji by surprise and he suddenly felt the pup's hands around his throat and begin to throttle him.

"I'm gonna… snap your rotten ooman neck PYODA AMEDHA!"

Shinji countered by quickly jabbing his index and middle finger into the pup's neck hard, striking a nerve and causing him to suddenly let go of him grasp his own throat. Shinji then shrieked and punched him in the forehead with his left fist, causing him to stagger back. He then bent over and grabbed his blade off the ground, swinging it and immediately striking 'Spawn of Hunter Grave Heart and J'rugar's' blade.

The pup held onto his blade, making sure it didn't fly out of his hand. Shinji gripped his tanto with both hands as their blade crisscrossed against each other, quickly turning into a battle or strength. Shinji then bent over backwards enough for the pup's blade to skim over his shin. Shinji then brought his fist back and socked him in the forehead once again.

"GAH!"

The two of them staggered away from one another. The pup felt his forehead and winced when he saw that a bruise was forming. Shinji found that he couldn't see out his left eye and felt it, gritting his teeth when he saw that it had become swollen.

"Ah!"

The pup smirked, "Can an ooman really fight with one eye?"

Shinji didn't answer, instead holding his tanto so that the blade was pointed towards the pup.

The pup then looked irritated, "You're not supposed to be here. You're not supposed to have survived _this_ long!"

Shinji raised an eyebrow…

**He sounds…scared.**

The ooman then charged, ducking to the left and avoiding the pup's slash, then swung his tanto and parried with his opponent. He then swung his right fist, the pup avoiding his blow, spinning around behind Shinji then slashing him across the back.

"ARGH!"

Shinji gritted his teeth and swung blindly, the pup blocking him before raising his leg leg and kneeing him hard in the chest, pushing himself up from the ground with his right foot, sending Shinji off the ground as well. The pup smirked, seeing him flat on his back, it quickly faded when Shinji was quick to stand back up and ready himself for another onslaught.

The pup clicked his mandibles, "How about you give up? Ooman lives are short enough without fighting superior Yautja hunters?"

Shinji rubbed his skinned elbow, "You talk…"

"What?"

He frowned, "You keep talking too much."

The pup growled, "I thought I told you NOT TO TALK ME LIKE THAT, HUMAN!"

The 'Spawn of Hunter Grave Heart and J'rugar' roared and charged him.

**He **_**does**_** sound scared.**

Gripping his tanto in his left hand, he grabbed hold of his loincloth with his right hand and tore if off…

"Wha…?"

"YAH!"

Shinji then hurled the fabric at the pup's face, completely enveloping it. The pup shrieked and thrashed his arms about blindly, Shinji then stepped to the side and stuck his right leg out and tripped his opponent up, whose turn it was now to fall to the ground. Shinji then rushed over and grabbed his loincloth off and put it back on, at this point he felt like his face had just caught on fire; he was that embarrassed.

(SSJNYH)

Needless to say, the entire crowd were taken back, no, horrified by Shinji's actions, except for three certain Hunters.

"Wow," Merl'we was speechless. "I had no idea Shinji had it in him."

Nam nodded, smirking, "Oh yeah."

She frowned at him, and looked ready to smack him upside the head. "Did you…?"

"Pauk NO!" Nam exclaimed. "Even I wouldn't do _that_!"

Gaun however ignored her two counterparts and continued watching Shinji. She nodded briefly, as if in approval.

**Impressive.**

And now they all watched Shinji hover about Shinji, tanto in hand and ready to put the point to his opponent's throat and threaten him into surrendering…

**That won't work for Grave Heart's spawn…**

Proving Gaun's point the pup shrieked out loud, spun around and struck Shinji with his fists, knocking Shinji back and bruising his face. Shinji snarled as the pup got up, knife back in his hand.

"I'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT!" the pup screamed.

The pup then felt Shinji head butt him in the gut as the ooman charged him. He then brought the hilt of his tanto upward and struck him below the chin, concussing him and sending him falling back to the ground.

Shinji spat blood to the side and shouted, "Don't get up!"

He then converged on the nameless pup.

"Give up."

"K-kill me…"

Shinji's stopped frowning, "What?"

"Please kill me…"

He looked panicked, "What!? No!"

Shinji suddenly lost his stoic composure, eyes scanning the crowd as if looking for Gaun's guidance.

"I-I don't wanna do that!" he exclaimed. "I just want you to give up, that's all!"

The 'Spawn of Hunter Grave Heart and J'rugar' looked over past Shinji and at his father, whom was staring back with a look of intensity that made his son feel dead inside. The ooman saw tears well up in nameless pup's eyes and he felt his own eyes quiver.

"I-I can't live with disappointing my sire," the pup moaned. 'You don't know what he's like…"

The tears fell.

"…what he'll do to my mother, and to me. It's better to die _trying_ to make him proud, _trying_ to make him love me…"

"…" Shinji was at a loss for words and direction. "I…I…"

"Kill me,"

"N-no…"

"KILL ME!"

The pup screamed at him and pushed himself forward, trying to impale himself on Shinji's tanto. Shinji shrieked and moved his blade out of the way, cutting the pup across the cheek once. Shinji then angrily knocked him down, eliciting gasps from the young ones watching and stares of confusion and contempt from the adults present.

"I DON'T WANT TO KILL YOU!" he screamed.

Gaun looked over at her shoulder at Grave Heart, who looked close to glare a hole straight through…his own son, instead of Shinji the one who defeated him. Gaun looked away and shook her head, disgusted.

**Who can bring himself to be angry at his own spawn for losing?**

She looked back at the fight, to see the proctor approaching them.

"It's over, right?" Shinji asked.

The proctor masked head nodded

"Yes it is, Unblood."

Shinji felt tense being as such. All eyes turned to see the High Elder approach Shinji. Shinji turned to face him fully and had his head bowed. The Elder reached forward and grasped his chin gently, making him look up at him and the Hunters that were now gathering around him.

"You wish to partake in the hunt alongside us?"

Shinji nodded, "I do."

"Why, may I ask?"

"Because it's all I have," Shinji replied. "It's what…I want."

"It's what you shall have. It will be all that you have."

Shinji then passed out.

(SSJNYH)

Night had fallen when Shinji woke up. He groaned when his injuries begun to irritate him, and he saw that he was bandaged up, save for his black eye. He was also adorned in armour – not the leather practice stuff he was used too but real steel armoured tailor for someone his age. Fingerless gloves, shoulder plating , leg plating and chest plating. His loincloth was also replaced with one outlined with steel.

His gasped lightly when he saw his arms had been fitted with tech – the same ones he saw the adults equipped with. Just as he was about to run a finger over it, to get a feel for it…

"Curved Blade!"

His head looked and he saw ranks of masked Hunters standing on two sides leading up to where the High Elder stood. Shinji looked down to see that he had been lying in a smaller circle made of bones. He slowly got up, the wounds still feeling irritant.

"Approach, Curved Blade, receive your birthright!"

Shinji swallowed and made his way down past the Hunters, almost coming close to limping. When he reached the High Elder his strength gave way, plus the slighty heaviness of the armour he wore was too much for him. He felt to his knees before the Elder.

"E-Elder," Shinji said.

He looked up to see the Elder hold in front of him a bronze-coloured smooth looking bio-mask, also tailored for the young ones. Shinji reached forward and grasped it. He then gazed up at the Elder's masked face and he nodded. He then took it and placed it over his face.

Darkness blinded him. Then the cracking of electricity was heard and the Heads-up Display booted up to reveal everything in thermal vision. Shinji came close to freaking out, he was back on his feet. He calmed down when he moved his hand in front of his face and saw it's heat signatures, a mixture of yellow, red and blue. He then saw the Elder and the Hunters heat signatures.

The HUD then automatically changed setting, automatically restored Shinji's familiar world of colour. He then looked at the Elder.

"You saw how we see the world?" the Elder asked.

Shinji nodded.

"Then from this day forward you are part of our clan. Your journey of ascendance from ooman to Hunter begins now! To all who bear witness…"

He addressed close to a hundred Yautja watching these proceedings – adults and children, males and females.

"…do you accept this ooman having proved himself within the chiva? Do you accept…"

He eyed the ooman intently.

"…Curved Blade?"

**Curved…Blade?**

Shinji spun around to the roars of the Hunters banging their weapons against either the ground or against their armour as they cheered him on. If one could see his face they would see him smiling, his eyes quivering as tears threatened to run down his face. He was that happy…

**Happy? Am I really happy to be here?**

**I…I guess I am. They haven't shunned me, they…they want me here…**

**Yeah, I'm happy…I _am _happy!**

And amongst the crow he spotted Gaun, nodding her approval. Shinji could only smile wider.

**I have a name now, a real name…**

(SSJNYH)

**On our way home we were waylaid by the younglings that had watched the chiva. They all had came to see for themselves the first, and quite possibly, the only human to pass their test and become an Unblood. Most of them were the children of the hunters that didn't want me around, and they had surrounded me and told me how much they admired me.**

**Then, heh…Merl'we came and 'congratulated' me as well…right in front of the other pups. Never been so embarrassed in my life…**

**When we got home finally…**

(SSJNYH)

"Ow!"

With the lake outside the cave as a mirror Shinji yelped when he made a cut beneath his black eye. Vision slowly begun to return as the swelling started to go down. He then reached for a bandage wrapped it around his head just above his nose and below his eyes.

He then yawned and limped back to the cave. He then paused and reflected…

**Gaun…**

**She…never gave up on me…she didn't leave me…like…like**

He growled…

**Gendo!**

Shinji made his way through the cave towards Gaun's section and saw her just lying there awake, no longer in her armour and instead wearing a scarf that covered her breasts and womanhood to give her modesty.

**I can't remember what **_**she**_** looks like. I can't remember **_**my**_** mom's face. I can't remember anything about being little, including mom.**

**I can't remember Earth. Why can't I remember Earth?**

**What's happening to me? When I try to remember mom's face…I see Gaun's…**

**Gaun…**

"Gaun?"

The Huntress tiredly looked up at Shinji. Shinji stared at his feet and nervously rubbed his hand together behind his back.

"Curved Blade?"

"N-Nam told me why everyone hates you. I t-think it's unfair."

Gaun frowned, "He did?"

Shinji swallowed.

"C-can… can I…?"

He blushed and smiled lightly.

"Can I call you _Kaa-san_?"

(SSJNYH)

Gaun's eyes lit up when dropped that honorific on her and her mandibles flexed outward as if it were a blooming flower…

**Kaa-san? Human for 'Mother.'**

**He called me **_**Mother!**_

(SSJNYH)

Taking Shinji, and herself, by surprise she darted forward onto her knees off her moss from the ground and wrapped her arms around Shinji in a warm embrace, Shinji's forehead resting underneath her chin. At first surprised, and a little frightened, of Gaun's sudden show of affection, Shinji closed her eyes and relaxed in Gaun's hold, resting his head on her chest wrapping his arms around Gaun's neck, grateful that there was someone who truly cared for him.

Maybe even loved him. Shinji felt tears in his eyes, hoping that would be true.

"_Sochi_."

Shinji rubbed his cheek against her chest affectionately, hearing her call him 'son' in Japanese.

Japanese?

**She…spoke to me…that way…**

**I think she called me **_**son**_**.**

(SSJNYH)

**I had never been happier in my life…**

**But despair came knocking at my door the next day.**

(SSJNYH)

The next morning Shinji was smiling and humming something out of key to himself as he collected water for the day. He closed his eyes as he put the bucket into the water…

"Huh?"

…and when he opened his eyes he found there was glowing green in the bucket. Shinji's eyes widened…

"B-blood?"

Shinji looked up and saw the corpse of a Yautja floating down the river on his back. Shinji eyes widened when he recognised it…"

He screamed.

"NO!"

Not caring about getting his bandages wet he jumped in and swam towards the pup. He felt a couple of his wound open up as he struggled towards the nameless pup. He then grabbed him and struggled back towards the shore. He then pulled him out of the water, his green blood splattering all over Shinji. The ooman looked at his hands, now in shock, and saw that the pup had been completely mutilated beyond recognition. Slashes, bruises, fractured bone poking through his arms and legs.

"C-Curved…"

Shinji saw that he was still alive.

"Y-you…" Shinji made out.

"C-Curved Blade…" the pup referred to him by his new name.

"W-who?"

"Yau-th…"

"S-sire?"

"B-bearer…"

Shinji was horrified to hear that. His eyes then scanned the pup's body and the damage inflicted upon it.

**H-his **_**mother**_** did this to him…? **

**His m-mother…?**

Shinji looked up away from the pup towards the settlement, in bewilderment and horror. He then looked down and saw that the pup had expired in his arms.

"N-no…"

Curved Blade gritted his teeth and held the pup's head tighter to his chest as he looked ready to explode in anger.

"S-S-S…"

He then opened his mouth as if ready to scream. Instead, as if changing his mind, he just bowed his head and wept.

(SSJNYH)

**I learnt something new that day: Happiness never lasts. Misery is always around the corner.**

**At least…just for me…**

…

…

**Misato…**

* * *

Te'dqi – Alien secretion/spittle  
Proug'nik – female genitalia  
Cho't – Hell  
M-di H'chak – No Mercy

_Heh, bit of a long chapter this one. Haven't written anything over 10,000 words in a long time. So tell me, how'd I do?_

_I think I've officially made young Shinji… y'know…when he appears in flashbacks as either a happy little boy playing with his mommy or a living, breathing sob story without his mommy (and daddy), a badass tyke bomb. No matter how young you are, get pushed hard enough and with the right encouragement you'll fight back somehow. In Shinji Curve Blade's case: with a tanto._

_On the subject of the…adult themes, mentions of which reason for the change in age rating besides the violence…despite the fact I'm personally somewhat uncomfortable writing about it I wouldn't put it above the Super Predators to force themselves on anything smaller and weaker than they are. But don't worry; there will be no__** graphic**__ sexual violence depicted in this story. Implied, mentioned…but not demonstrated._

_With the depiction of Gaun, Merl'we and Nam I'm intend to make them out to be just as messed up mentally, emotionally and psychologically as the NGE cast. Especially with Gaun who is unable to openly express her feelings for other people, and that Shinji is helping her out of that stump, and Gaun helping Shinji to become something other than the wimp. I believe they are truly on their way to loving one another as mother and son._

_Anyway, next two chapters will be set in the present time, and will focus on Shinji's continued readaptation to Earth, his relationships with Misato and Rei and their battles against both the aliens __**and**__ the Fifth Angel...so stay tuned…_

_And thanks for your reviews…_


	18. Chapter 17: Closer

**Disclaimer: See the prologue**

_Once again sorry for the delay. I spent a lot of time playing Mass Effect 3. I finished it and saw the endings…_

…

…

(Uncomfortable silence)

_Let's just say if you thought the anime series had a lousy, incomprehensible ending that felt like a big middle finger from the creator(s), prepare to be surprised._

_Oh, I was on vacation in New Zealand, had a bad cold when I got back and an even worse case of writer's block, partly because in this chapter I'm taking a leap of faith when it comes to romance, with Shinji and Misato taking their first, baby steps towards becoming closer (hence the chapter title). And the both of them are damaged, mentally and emotionally, and I'm trying to make that show. In short, this was difficult to write._

_And in the end it turned out to be too big, so I'm splitting it into two. Next chapter should come soon._

_Hope you enjoy it all the same…_

* * *

Chapter 17 – Closer

* * *

The young woman clutched her torn blouse to her chest and shivered as she sat against the wall of the alleyway. The smell of cooked flesh assaulted her nostrils. The corpse of a young man dressed in a hoodie and with a switchblade in his left hand laid on it's stomach in front of her, his chest blown out from a plasma blast to the back.

She had just been minding her own business, walking home late at night when suddenly these two men pulled her into an alley and held switchblades to her throats. She then felt their hand all over her chest as they ripped her jacket blouse; then they decided to take turns with her. She tried screaming but one of them covered her mouth with his clothed hand and as his buddy stepped away from suddenly a loud electrical whooshing sound was heard and he let out a scream of his own, then his body felt to the ground; a smoking hole through him.

The other attempted rapist backed off her and pulled a handgun. Suddenly his foot caught something and he was hoisted upward and out of sight, screaming. And this left her alone…

"OH GOD PLEASE NO! NOOOOOOOO! ARGHHHHHHHHH!"

One loud crunch of bone silenced him and blood dripped down. The woman dared looked up, briefly seeing the now dead man's horrified expression hanging over the side of the building's roof, before it was dragged out of sight. She then heard loud footsteps and something climbing down.

"_**Close your eyes," **_an echoey, electronically enhanced voiced ordered her.

She complied. She then heard more footsteps, then the sound of shuffling and a body being dragged away. After a minute she opened her eyes, and found the body of the first attempted rapist missing.

She closed her eyes again, hoping this bad dream would hurry up and end.

(SSJNYH)

_**A day ago…**_

In her quarters, Mana Dagger Strike hummed quietly to herself as she attached her wrist-comps to herself, hearing and feeling the familiar clicks as she connected them to herself. She then flexed her arms, briefly feeling the tone in each of her muscles, which prompted her to turn to the body-sized mirror, remembering that right now she only wore a thong, allowing her to see how much her training which started almost three years ago had done to her body.

She smiled at her own image. Her body was toned as well as an athlete's, and the amount of muscle she had only accentuated her femineity, giving her an almost Amazonian quality. And unlike Shinji she had absolutely no scars on her body, her sensei Gaun taking care not to leave any lasting marks on her that would deem her undesirable in the male eyes…the males who wouldn't allow her near them for her to stab in the back, that is.

Her smile faltered when she moved her hands to feel her own breasts, typical size for her age, and remembered how big Merl'we's and Shinji's mate-to-be were. Just when she started to feel jealous she then stopped and growled at herself…

**Don't even go **_**there**_**, Dagger Strike! Don't start being depressed about your tits like the rest of those ill-tempered ooman sluts! You haven't reached maturity yet…and Nam knows better than to make fun of you again…**

She smirked rather mischievously, remembering how much the pervert whimpered when she kicked him where it would hurt the most when she compared her breast size to both her sensei's and Merl'we. She hadn't been impressed.

She then felt sad and reached for her steel-lined bikini, fastening it around and covering herself from mirror's view.

**Why hasn't Shinji-kun noticed any of **_**this**_**? Am I not attractive enough for him to claim, he must pass me over for the purple-haired one?**

She then sighed and reached for herself loincloth and pulled it up over her thong. She then wrapped herself in wire mesh.

**He only thinks of me as friend, but that can't last forever, right?**

Since Mana had first met Shinji when they both ten years old and he saved her from the Arcturian slavers she almost instantly developed strong feelings for him, which had culminated in referring to him as 'tono' – classical Japanese language for 'lord'. As was the tradition surrounding her upbringing she had to be sworn to a master, and to her there was no better lord than Shinji Curved Blade. And ever since her first encounter with the Serpent – the Kainde Amedha, she had requested of Gaun-sama…rather, Gaun-sensei, or N'yaka-de , that she train her.

And she had earned her name last year. All she had to do now was claim her first trophy and she would become a true hunter. She then blushed when she thought of all the privileges that came with it, including the right to bear young….when she was older, of course.

And she only wanted to do _that_ with Shinji. She then sighed sadly. That may never happen if he only ever saw her as a friend. She then lifted the part of her loincloth that covered her left calf, and the kanji that had been tattooed on it when she had been born…

財閥

**Zaibutsu**.

Before she can ruminate on her past any further she heard banging on her door. Her head shot up…

"Yes?"

"Are you prepared yet, Dagger Strike?"

"Coming, Gaun-sensei."

She mounted her plasma caster onto her left shoulder guard then put her smooth-looking, kanji-inscribed bio-mask on. The kanji which read "She Who Serves"…inspired by the meaning of 'Samurai.'

Mana then grabbed her name sake…a large ten-inch Predator-issued dagger, what she used to earn her Unblood status. Smiling behind her mask she stepped out of her room and found her sensei waiting for her. Mana swallowed uncertainly, seeing that Gaun had been leaning against the wall outside her room, arms crossed with impatience.

"You took long enough, apprentice?"

Mana bowed, "My apologies."

She then queried.

"Where are we going?"

"To observe Curved Blade."

She smiled, "R-really, Gaun-sensei?"

Gaun didn't miss that fact she missed her lord, and friend. "Really."

"What about Merl'we-san and Nam-san?"

"It'll just be the two of us watching Curved Blade, without him knowing."

Mana was perplexed as she followed Gaun, "We're just going to be watching him? Why?"

"You'll see in due time."

(SSJNYH)

His bloodstained plugsuit lying over a bench in the male change-room, Shinji tossed the towel he had been drying himself with after emerging from the shower and begun dressing himself in casual wear – jeans and black t-shirt.

After returning to NERV HQ almost everyone made a note to keep the hell out of his way, him covered in JSSDF blood making it abundantly clear that he wasn't to be crossed with. Neither Misato, Kozo or any of his superiors weren't there to greet him so he just went off to get change.

**Guess they knew better than to get in my way.**

He didn't know where Toji and Kensuke was, and was relieved that the code now dictated that he wasn't responsible for them now.

Just as was about to slam his locker shut the door into the change room opened…

"This is the _male_ change room, Misato."

(SSJNYH)

Misato was taken aback by Shinji's indifference to her presence and that his still bloody plugsuit was off to the side on the benches, blood dripping on the steel floor. She glared and stepped inside, door shutting behind her.

"Why did you disregard my orders, Shinji?" she asked, sternly.

Shinji slammed his locker shut and turned around, glaring right back at her. He was surprised, and glad, that Misato was unfazed by him.

"It was either that or let those two _idiots_ get themselves killed," Shinji replied.

"I'm not talking about letting your classmates into the EVA," Misato stated. "I'm talking about you disobeying my orders to retreat."

She walked closer towards him.

"What would have happened if you hadn't defeated the Angel?"

Shinji shook his head, "I wouldn't have lost."

"What?"

"_I._ Wouldn't. Have. Lost," Shinji reiterated. "There was no way I could have lost. The Angel was dead the moment it attacked me."

Misato groaned. There was no way he was going to get through to him by asking him what would have happened if he hadn't won, because deep down she knew that it would really have been impossible for Shinji to lose. Having seen Shinji ramming a skyscraper into the Angel and pinning it's own tendrils to itself, he was a born warrior through and through, and this extended to the Evangelion as well.

Still…

"That's not the point!" Misato shouted, backing him towards the lockers.

Shinji frowned and leaned back.

"As long you're piloting that EVA you're obligated to follow my orders!" Misato exclaimed. "As long as you're a member of NERV I'm your superior officer!"

She then grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him close so that their glaring faces were close.

"Got that, Kasumi?" she sounded as authoritative as she could.

Shinji didn't stop glaring at her, "So _you'll_ kill yourself if I ever let a prey get away from me? You'd do that for me?"

"What?" Misato's eyes widened and her grip on his arm loosened.

Shinji tore his arm away from her…

**Looks like he going to let me have it.**

…and growled, "I would've disgraced myself and my Mother if I ran away from a prey I can easily handle."

He saw he had Misato's silent, undivided attention now.

"And I would have to kill myself to purge that disgrace from my name."

**What?!**

**Did he just say **_**seppuku**_**?**

"T-that's insane!" Misato shouted.

"_That's_ the code of the hunt we stick to," Shinji stated, no longer glaring and now appearing sullen. "As for letting Suzuhara and Aida into the EVA, we don't let ourselves be responsible for the deaths of the unarmed or unworthy…that's even worse."

He then glimpsed past Misato and towards the door.

"And that's _really_ unsporting."

He then focused on Misato.

"You need me to pilot the EVA, right?"

"Yes, we do," Misato nodded.

**I should be up in his case. Yell at him, maybe slap some sense into him. If he were normal I already would have…**

…**but he's hardly normal, and right now I'm scared of him. **

_**Of**_** him, not **_**for**_** him!**

"But you can't just disobey whatever orders I give you…"

She silenced herself when she saw Shinji glimpse sadly at her.

"I won't. As long as you don't order me to run."

He then brushed past her and towards the door, leaving her dumbfounded. She then spun around to face him.

"Hey, wait…!"

Shinji paused before he could step out of the door.

"I…"

She sighed.

**Okay now I'm going to set a bad example in being his guardian slash supervising officer…**

"I'm not going to forget that you violated almost a dozen protocols today, but you still killed the Angel," she sounded like it was forced. "So, good work."

Shinji smiled lightly. She understood him.

"Thank you…Misato-chan."

Misato gasped lightly and felt herself involuntarily blush.

**Misato-**_**chan?**_

He then left the change room, leaving a shell shocked Misato standing there.

(SSJNYH)

Shinji froze up in the hallway, remembering what he just referred to Misato as.

**Did I just…?**

He then smacked his head against the wall.

**Oh, pauk me…might as well have told her about…the **_**betrothal**_**? That's what oomans call it, right? **

He then hissed through clenched teeth in pain, and then walked off.

**Find something to do. Take my mind off Misato and Ikari somehow…**

(SSJNYH)

Gendo stood in the darkness before the floating black monoliths that comprised SEELE, stoic as ever as he faced those that had believe to have had him completely under control. But the _reason_ why he was before them made him reconsider their hold on not only the Commander, not only of NERV but all of humanity that were underneath the tattered flag of the UN.

_You are bringing previously uncritical elements into this war, Ikari?_ SEELE 01, Keel Lorenz, asked calmly. _And you have just decided to inform us now?_

Gendo inwardly smirked…

**Idiot.**

…and stated, "You mean you did not already know of Weyland-Yutani's upcoming projects in Japan, and their establishment in Tokyo-02? I'm surprised."

_You inolved the corporations into our struggle? _SEELE 04 boomed, angrily. _One of the reasons for mankind's descent into oblivion._

**Hypocrite. **

SEELE 06 added his two cents, _Human greed will now be at one of the factors that may impede the Human Instrumentality Project!_

_Did you not consider _this_, Ikari?_ SEELE 04 demanded.

Gendo nodded, "I did. Believe me when I say we know nothing of the alien presence within Tokyo-03 itself. I believe what you deign as the 'outside elements' with their past experiences with the extra-terrestrials may prove useful in containing, and hopefully controlling, this perceived alien threat."

_You don't think that these…Kainde Amedha…and those that hunt them are not a perceivable threat?_ Keel asked.

"Not yet," Gendo answered. "They could be made to work in our favour against whatever else decides to involve themselves on Earth."

_We do not require anything else other than what we already have!_ SEELE 09 shouted, causing Gendo's left eye to twitch the sheer volume. _What we already have is what is required to advance the Scenario! We do not need the assistance of monsters! We do not need any more uncontrollable factors…_

"You have forgotten that one of those 'uncontrollable factors' had defeated the Third and Fourth Angel," Gendo reminded him. "If I can convince _him _to carry out his purpose, than who is to say we cannot make the rest of these _monsters_ compliment the Scenario."

Silence followed, as if SEELE were taking the time to consider Gendo's words.

Keel broke the silence, _You are treading on cracked, thin ice Ikari. If these beasts start to actively halt our progress…_

Keel then hissed.

_Then perhaps __**we**__ will allow the Third Child to finish you off sooner than fate intends._

**What?**

Gendo's eyebrows raised behind his glasses.

_The scar on your face_, SEELE 02 rumbled. _The non-human has marked you. We see you for what you truly are._

"And what is that?"

_A __**dead man**__, _Keel explained. _You have been marked as it's prey._ _It is your fate to die at the hands of your own son. When the time comes, he will come for you._

Gendo was silent Surprising even him, he couldn't tell if SEELE were speaking rhetoric, or if they were really believe that he will die by Shinji Curved Blade's sword. That it would be part of their design as well.

_Keep your corporate bed mates on a tight leash and continue to implement the Scenario as we have designed and perhaps your fate will be avoided. We will be watching you more closely now._

"I…understand."

_You better._

The monoliths faded, leaving Gendo standing alone within the booth. The downlight shining on him switched off and the door behind him opened, revealing the main passage leading down through the executive G5 airplane. He stepped out of the booth and into the main cabin. Weyland was waiting for him, seated.

"So," Charles Bishop Weyland II stared at him blankly and asked in Japanese. "What did the Brotherhood of Evil say?"

Gendo frowned and responded in his best English, "That they will be watching us closely."

Weyland smirked, "Of course they did."

"You knew of their existence for how long?" Gendo asked.

"Long enough; believe me."

**He doesn't know of the Scenario? What the old men intend to bring about for the future? **

**How long will that last?**

_Attention, this is the captain speaking. We are approaching Tokyo-02. Please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts for descent…_

"I never did ask why Yutani isn't joining us," Gendo remarked as he sat down.

"She said she had…dealings…to go over," Weyland answered. "Yutani Corporation is in to some really scary stuff."

"Prototype pulse weapons if I remember correctly," Gendo said.

(SSJNYH)

Dinner at the Katsuragi/Ikari household was a silent affair, both occupants sitting at the table eating what Shinji had cooked for the two of them this night. It had been his turn to cook dinner and had studied a couple of Western cookbooks, putting his ability to learn quickly towards something that didn't involve killing anything. He didn't make anything fancy, just fried some steak up with salad on the side.

Misato put her second empty beer can down right next to her first empty can to the left of her plate. The silence coming from Shinji, except for the sounds of chewing medium-cooked steak, was almost maddening.

**I **_**have**_** to say **_**something**_**…**

She broke the silence. She smiled. "Love what you cooked tonight, Shin-chan."

"Hmm," Shinji's eyes were closed, like he refused to look at her.

Her smile faltered and she looked worried. And ever since their run in with the rest of Shinji's clan it would appear he was trying to avoid eye contact with her, as if he were ashamed of her; or he couldn't face her for something that either he did or didn't do, and that was bothering him.

Shinji sighed, "I've had enough."

He excused himself from the table, taking his plate with him which he promptly emptied his half-eaten steak into the waste bin. Misato watched him silently.

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Shinji."

He turned to face her just before he disappeared down the hallway.

"Yeah?"

She frowned and crossed her arms. With Pen-Pen also staring up at him from his seat and holding a beercan it made for some unsettling surrealism "Exactly what the hell's bothering you, Shinji?"

"What?"

She was now aggravated, "You haven't looked me in the eye ever since we got back from being abducted by aliens…was there something…"

She exhaled and her tone of voice became softer and calmer.

"Was it something I said or did?"

"What?" Shinji was now alarmed. "W-what you…did?"

"Yeah. Did I do anything to offend your people? I mean…"

She stood up, crossed her arms and rolled her eyes around.

"I mean...yeah, NERV's practically making you pilot EVA-01, tried to confiscate your technology and lumped you with the messiest woman in Tokyo-03…"

"NO!"

Misato was silenced and almost recoiled when Shinji shouted at her, incensed that she would blame herself for getting captured and almost violated. He immediately regretted raising his voice.

"N-not…not your fault. Never your fault," Shinji eyes downcast. "Mine. My fault."

"Yours?" Misato queried. "How?"

Shinji couldn't stop himself from speaking broken Japanese. "Chose to live with you…got close to you. Clan thought I want to…"

He blushed now.

"…to…mate with you."

Misato was slightly agape and her eyes softened, "W-what?"

"I…didn't want to…think it inappropriate. But I…I…made Elder promise…"

Misato raised an eyebrow.

**Promise? Promise what?**

Shinji blushed even harder. Now both her eyebrows rose in interest.

**Whoa…**

"I-I made him promise _you_ t-to me."

**Huh?**

Now Misato was really surprised.

"Say what?" Misato said.

Now nervous, Shinji continued stammered as he slowly begun to lose confidence for the first time in a long while, "T-They were gonna pass you around among themselves, t-they would've k-killed y-you during it or after t-they were done and. I…"

He closed his eyes and swallowed lightly, calming himself. Misato just stared at him quietly, empathetically. Rage suddenly built up within Shinji

"I-I had to do something. I claimed you so none of t-them would put their…"

He then growled.

"…hands on y-you. I-I saved your life and your…"

He blushed again.

"...body."

Misato felt her face burn, remembering how Shinji stood between the rest of his clan and her; and how feral, not to mention intimate, Shinji was acting towards her as he stared the rest of the Hunters down.

"So…" Misato said, eyes narrowed as she continued slowly. "We're…engaged?"

"Engaged?"

"That…oh…"

Overwhelmed, Misato sat back down and beckoned Shinji to sit as well. He complied.

"That's when two people are…destined to marry."

Shinji knew what marriage was and turned an even deeper shade of red. He had never felt so embarrassed in his life, and couldn't help but smile lightly and scratch the back of his head.

"Yeah, guess so."

It then faded.

"I...didn't…want this to happen to you…"

**Rits wasn't bullshitting me after all. Shinji really did fight that other big male just to have me to himself…or make his pals think he does.**

…

…

**Alright…let's see if I've gotten this right:**

**Shinji's alien pals nabbed me because they thought me and Shinji would make a good couple; and each of them would've taken turns with me and quite possibly kill me afterwards if Shinji hadn't went ahead and claimed me himself. So upon saving my life Shinji's being forced to…mate with me. **

**Heh…once again can't help but be flattered that aliens find **_**me**_** attractive. I should feel nauseous but I don't, I really don't. Does that make me a sicko?**

**Now back to Shinji: judging from him thinking it's inappropriate to mate with me (ugh…that doesn't sound right AT ALL) the poor kid probably doesn't even fancy me.**

Misato became despondent.

**Wait…**_**why**_** am I depressed about **_**that**_**? He's half my freakin' age, and why would he want anything to do with a drunken, dirty old woman anyw…? **

Her eyes then lit up.

**Wait…**

Shinji noticed that Misato was smiling at him.

"It's ok, Shinji," she sounded understandable. "You…couldn't control what they thought about us."

Shinji leaned forward so that his elbows and head were resting on the table. He felt calm enough to take his time forming words, "I…I should have stayed in the GeoFront instead of moving in with you. I was careless. I got your involved with my clan."

"Shinji."

His eyes darted upwards as Misato got up from her seat and walked around the table to Shinji. Standing in front of him she clasped her hands together…

**Time to get this out into the open once and for all, and this time I'm **_**fairly**_** sober.**

…and asked gently, "Do you really feel _that_ way towards me, Shinji?"

Shinji looked up at her suddenly, eyes widened

He then smiled lightly.

"Heh...I think you've been a good friend ever since I arrived here and…heh…fun to hang around…"

He then acted shy, looking back down at his knees, blushing lightly as he continued.

"…and I thought the first ooman who looks at my face would be…well…upset, angry, disgusted, whatever because I was wearing mesh and carrying an arsenal around with me but…but you didn't look angry…"

He remembered the happy look on Misato's face when they met for the first time.

"You looked happy."

"Yeah," Misato nodded, smiling. "You dropped a water tower on that big alien bug thing and saved everyone."

Shinji cleared his throat, "Anyway…seeing you fight that Kainde Amedha and the way you keep things going at NERV…if you had been part of the clan I would've…well…wanted us to be 'engaged' right away."

**OH…well…**

Misato's eyes widened, "Really?"

"Y-yeah…" Shinji was smiling again, as if a great load had been taken off his back. "And…"

He looked up at her.

"I…I trust you."

Misato turned red, "You trust me?"

Shinji nodded, "Yeah. I don't think I'll ever trust another ooman like I trust yo…"

The phone suddenly rang and both Shinji and Misato looked towards it, each breathing a mental sigh of relief. Misato went over to answer it.

"Hello? Oh…hey Rits…"

Shinji got up and left the room, giving her one last look before disappearing down the hallway. Misato heard the bathroom door open and close. She downcast her eyes sadly.

"Huh? Oh, sorry…missed what you said. Uh-huh…"

She closed her eyes, feelings of shame suddenly building up within her.

"…I'm fine, really. Tried talking to Shinji about the mission today and he totally blew me off punishing him…"

(SSJNYH)

Hours later that apartment was silent as both occupants retired. Misato still couldn't sleep. She was just lying there staring at the ceiling, a mixture of anger, depression and shame stewing about inside her…

"_**Do you really feel that way towards me?"**_** Shit…I might as have asked, **_**"Would you care to fuck me tonight? You claimed me. It's your right, after all! No pressure!"**_

**Am I really that…desperate I'd spout that crap to a kid? And everything he said back to me, about the intergalactic betrothal we've both been locked in on pain of MY death; and all those nice things about me being his friend I swore I took that as an invite…**

She frowned even harder and turned on her side.

**He said I was the first ooman he trusted…well that's down the fucking toilet all right! Yeah, I'm just a lonely, dirty old woman who almost took advantage of some trusting, fragile minded, tribal adolescent just so I forget about…**

"AHHH!"

She cried out in frustration when she thought about..._him_…,and after a few minutes she calmed down. And she found herself thinking more clearly.

**I **_**did**_** ask him what was wrong with him, and he told me what it was. It's not like he told me we're bonded and there's nothing we can do about it, and we have to play along…**

**FUCK!**

Misato then growled at herself.

**Don't try to justify any of this, Dirty Old Woman!**

She then calmed down again, then blushed.

**I know things aren't going to be the same between us now, as if things had the chance to settle between us in the first place. And…**

She sighed.

…**I…didn't really get a straight answer if he **_**wanted**_** to be paired up with me. He wasn't repulsed when I asked him.**

Misato pulled the blankets off her, revealing that she was wearing the same shirt and shorts she had been walking around in when she came home from work. She sat on the edge of her bed and looked at her door.

**Wonder if he's still awake, probably freaked over spilling his clan's dirty laundry all over me. I should… go talk to him…**

She frowned and gripped her sheets.

"I'll just go to him," she said to herself, having wrestled with her own mind. "And see what happens from there."

**I think I'll tell him first how I feel right now…**

(SSJNYH)

**She sounded…hopeful, when asked me if I felt like I **_**wanted**_** to be engaged to her. And if I get the feeling if she was someone else…she wouldn't have asked me…**

**Is she…broken…like I am? **

**Like I **_**think**_** I am, anyway? **

"Shinji?"

The Predator in question was just lying on his above his blankets, dressed in a black singlet and shorts and staring at the ceiling. He rolled his eyes towards the door to see Misato standing there in the doorway. Slowly she stepped towards his bed, hands clasped as if nervous about how Shinji would react to her coming towards him.

She stood in front of his bed staring down at him, as if pleadingly. Shinji stared back, softness the likes of which Misato had never seen in them. He moved over on his single bed as best he could, allowing Misato to lie down next to him. They turned to face each other, each quiet as they spent some time just staring tiredly at one another.

"Misato."

Thinking about all the horrors the two of them have already faced and will yet to face, she whispered, "I…I didn't want to be alone…"

Shinji moved a hand to stroke Misato's right shoulder.

His expression didn't change, but he sounded warm when he replied, "You don't have to be."

Misato couldn't remember the last time she felt genuinely happy…and safe.

(SSJNYH)

**He didn't kill you because you weren't armed. No sport!**

Hands touched foreheads in salutes from mercenary officers as Schaefer stepped out of the Humvee and onto the asphalt of the former Yutani's Corporation's personnel runway some distance away from what was left of Tokyo-02, TRIDENT personnel, vehicles and equipment having arrived by cargo planes, each with TRIDENT's insignia – a Trident crisscrossed with a M4 Assault Rifle over a laurel wreath.

**NO! RUN! GET TO THE CHOPPER!**

Colonel Schaefer gazed over his subordinates: Men dressed in orange/cream coloured uniforms wearing either orange berets or caps, with the TRIDENT insignia pinned to them. Schaefer returned the salute.

**He couldn't see me.**

"Evening gentlemen," Schafer said, his heavily Austrian accent almost punctuating each word. "Welcome to Japan. I trust you all had a pleasant flight."

**Bleed, bastard! **

"Yes, sir," the officer chorused.

The older man nodded, "Good. You'll be receiving your separate assignments at 0700 tomorrow morning. What I can tell you right now, however, is that we are all after a small, but heavily armed, unpredictable and definitely not human force. Any questions?"

**You are one ugly motherfucker!**

"Sir," a lieutenant, officer, Hispanic, mid-thirties, sounded off. "Has Mr. Weyland brought us here to shadow _one_ kid, sir?"

**Bad idea.**

"One kid his family of aliens, lieutenant," Schafer groused. "And Mr. Weyland has requested we capture him alive, and when NERV is nowhere to be found."

**COME ON, KILL ME! I'M RIGHT HERE!**

Schaefer frowned when memories of conflict past subconsciously rose to assault him, culminating in him standing victoriously over the monster's broken body.

"Sir?" one of the officer saw him space out.

"Finish unloading the troops, vehicles and ordinance," Schafer ordered. "And grab a couple hours sleep. We move out at 0630 hours. Dismissed."

The officers all saluted and left Schafer's presence, leaving him alone with the person he had arrived at the airfield with. The Austrian-American man rubbed is forehead, remembering the faces of the men he lost under his command so many years ago; and how he made the bastard who slaughtered them like animals rather then soldiers pay with his life.

**What the hell are **_**you**_**?**

"I'm moderately impressed, colonel," the Humvee door on the other side opened and out stepped a brown-haired, brown-eyed middle-aged American man who looked strangely younger than around 45. He was dressed in a jumper and blue jeans and had the WY logo emblazoned on his shoulder. "Can see why the Corps hated to see you go."

Schafer rolled his eyes, "I was Green Berets, Mr. Langley."

"Whatever. And it's Garber, by the way. I never liked being called that."

He slammed the Humvee door shut.

"Just get your grunts get the surveillance equipment set up first and link to the satellite, ok?" Alan Langley Garber said straightforwardly. "The sooner that little, mesh-wearing prick is somewhere we can nab him without running into those geeks from NERV the sooner I'll get reassigned somewhere safter."

Schafer smirked, "Hate it here already, huh?"

"_Hate_ isn't enough to describe what I feel about this damn country," Garber grumbled as he walked off towards the offices located near the runway, steel suitcase in hand.

Schaefer watched him go, intently…

**He **_**really**_** hates it here, then. Must be because big monsters attacking Tokyo isn't fiction anymore.**

**Wonder what the 'prick' in question is doing right now?**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji was dreaming again…the same one…

13 years old and only wearing a loincloth and foot coverings, Shinji found himself fighting though an entire horde of shadowy beings of various, distorted shapes and sizes with his katana, blackish fluid all over. All the while angrily cursing at them in Yautja.

He didn't know why he was fighting or where he was fighting, but instinct told him to continuing swinging his large sword and move forward towards the light in the darkness. Just as he got closer towards his goal he was suddenly grabbed from behind everywhere and forced to drop his sword, before being pushed downwards…

"ARGHH!"

…onto the ground. He looked upward, his angry visage immediately turning to that of horror when he saw something up ahead that chilled his blood and immediately brought tears to his eyes.

"M-Merl'we?"

Said Huntress was lying on the ground before him; stripped naked and injured badly, her glowing green blood illuminating the darkness. Merl'we lifted her head off the ground to see the immobilised ooman hunter and the shadows that were holding him down.

"Curved Blade…" Merl'we croaked. "Why didn't you save me?"

"I'm sorry," Shinji pathetically replied.

"You were my friend. I trusted you," she continued on, sadly. "I loved you like a little brother! I thought you'd save me!"

"I'm sorry!" Shinji repeated, louder and gritting his teeth as he struggled to get up.

"He hurt me…" Merl'we continued, getting louder and tears spilling down her face. "He hurt me bad!"

"I'M SORRY!" he now screamed, eyes closed tightly as his own tears now fell. "I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRRREEEEEEE…"

Shinji noticed another shadowy distortion materialising above her, before it slowly reached down towards her. He felt his breathe caught in his throat…

"MAL'KAFIR!"

He then woke up…

(SSJNYH)

Nothing else happened between them this night. They merely shared the same single bed in Shinji's room; the only physical contact between them was their shoulder rubbing against each other, thin blanket covering the two of them as they laid together. Two fragile minded human beings experiencing the peace that was known as slumber together.

**Warmth…**

Shinji was breathing harshly, until he felt himself awaken with a start. His eyes opened to see the ceiling above him, and then he turned his head to see Misato resting next to him, forehead almost touching his.

**Peace…**

He calmed down…and felt himself smile.

**So…this is what it feels like…to wake up next to a female. It wasn't as perverted as Nam made it out to be…and that's a good thing.**

His eyes then widened when he remembered what his dream was. He looked away from her and moved slightly, causing Misato to groan and tighten her hold on him. He sighed and looked back up at the ceiling…

**I…I can't stay here…**

He quietly slipped out of bed. Making absolutely no noise whatsoever he reached underneath his bed and put out an ornate steel case. He tapped both sides of it with his pointer fingers and it opened, revealing a loincloth, fishnet, black cloak and pieces of armour that would go across his shoulder, chest and knees. Gear he picked up when he had been back on board the Hunter ship.

Shinji then silently stripped himself and changed himself in his Predator wardrobe. He then armed himself with the plasmacaster, speargun, a bandolier of speartips and his prized nodachi in it's koshirae. The moon shone on him from the window, casting his shadow on the wall.

Misato let a faint, uncomfortable 'mmm' when she subconsciously realised her shoulder wasn't touching anything. Shinji turned to her and walked over back to her bed.

He knelt beside her, looking bleak…

**I **_**do**_** want to claim you, Misato-chan. Letting you sleep here should be proof enough. I'm just afraid… I'll just scare you away…and I couldn't live with someone I know being afraid of me.**

**And even more afraid I would get you killed…because…**

He bowed his head and sighed with eyes closed.

**I couldn't save Merl'we that time. And if **_**he**_**, the **_**Monster**_**, comes back…I want make sure I'm far away from you if he decides to come after me.**

He then kissed her forehead.

**When the next Paya Amedha comes, I'll bring it down. For now…**

He then quietly left the room, then was out the apartment.

**I have to reaffirm who…**_**what**_**…I really am.**

He missed Misato smiling in her sleep and muttering in her sleep.

"Shinji…"

**Misato…**

(SSJNYH)

_**Present day…**_

_News this hour: More violence last night in Tokyo-03. The bodies of two young men were found in a warehouse near Tokyo-03's docks, along with an assortment of bladed weapons consisting of two switchblades, a gun, condoms, a torn woman's bra and bleach . They had been suspended from the ceiling, their corpses stripped of their skin. This coincides with the accusation made by one Akima Kamiya whom this morning claimed that two armed men attempted to assault her in an alley before a suspected vigilante arrived and killed the two men._

_A manhunt is now underway for the fugitive responsible for what police has dubbed the most gruesome serial killings in Japan post 2000. Forensics will determine the victims' identities through dental records._

_This follows the tragic death of_ _Mizuho Yukiho…_

(SSJNYH)

"Shinji's being missing since YESTERDAY?" Ritsuko exclaimed, almost dropping her cup of coffee, instead putting it on her desk.

Misato nodded, "Yeah. No note or anything. Just took his weapons and left…"

…**me all alone.**

She mentally sighed.

**It's because of me.**

Ritsuko face palmed and groaned into it, "Some guardian you are. What did you do?"

"What?"

"What. Did. You. Do, Captain Katsuragi?" Ritsuko reiterated, sounding dangerous. "I swear if you weren't wearing you shirt around him…"

**Oh, shit!**

"I didn't do anything," Misato shot back. "And for the record Shinji hasn't seen me _out_ of anything…yet."

"You didn't discipline him when he disobeyed orders, and now he just left on his volition," Ritsuko stated, agitated. "The Commander's not going to be happy about this, you know."

**Yeah. He's **_**so**_** concerned about **_**his**_** pilot…I mean son.**

"Yeah, I know!" Misato exclaimed. "And I suppose getting fired is the least of my worries."

**And hearing those two men getting skinned alive on the radio isn't exactly a good thing either. Killing them to save someone, that sounds like Shinji.**

**But Mizuho Yukiho, the 'Dumpster Rape slash Murder'…not Shinji! Definitely not Shinji! One of his buddies, maybe?**

**Oh God…and he hangs out with them…**

Ritsuko sighed and rubbed her temples, "We'll have to inform Section 2."

Misato scoffed, "For _their_ safety, probably not."

"Well it's either they go looking for him or TRIDENT will."

"_TRIDENT_?" Misato was alarmed. "Those mercs that smashed the JSSDF back in Korea?"

Ritsuko walked towards one of the file cabinets in her office and pulled out a folder, handing it to Misato. She opened it begun browsing it.

"What's this?"

"A copy of TRIDENT's contract with Weyland-Yutani and their operations in Tokyo-03."

"And what've we got to do with that merger?"

Ritsuko shook her head and muttered, "Ikari hasn't informed you? Figures."

"About what?"

"The Commander's brought in outside help to deal with the…extra-terrestrial activities in and around Tokyo-03," Ritsuko sat back down. "They had contact with these Predators and TRIDENT's led by someone who actually killed one of them."

Misato's mouth was agape, "Are you saying…?"

"TRIDENT's made up of Valentine Conflict veterans, former Green Berets, Spetznaz, SAS and other special forces types," Ritsuko explained. "And there's someone else that might interest you."

"Who?"

"Page 35, under Corporate Representative."

She flipped to the page in question.

"You're k-kidding?" Misato stammered. "Asuka's _father_?"

She then shook her head and leaned against the wall, banging the back of her head against it lightly in frustration.

"So we either send the thugs in nice suits or the trigger-happy mercenaries to find Shinji?" Misato stated, hopelessly. "And pray Shinji doesn't freak out, attack them and they don't fill him full of holes."

"Do _you_ know how to find him, then?" Ritsuko asked.

Misato regarded her, then lowered her gaze and said quietly, "No…damn it. Where else on Earth would he go?"

**Good question.**

**Shinji…**

* * *

Koshirae – Japanese sword scabbard

By the way, _Alan Langley Garber_ is **Adam Baldwin's **character from Predator 2. He was just known as _Garber_ in the movie and was **Gary Busey's** lackey_,_ but upon reintroducing him in the fic I've decided to give him a little…backstory. Heh…


	19. Chapter 18: Ooman Shield

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

* * *

Chapter 18 – Ooman Shield

* * *

_Satellite ONE Reconnaissance has located Subject: Shinji Ikari. Outskirts of Tokyo-03._

_Scramble intercept under Lieutenant Apone. Attach Representative Garber to assist in possibly negotiation with Subject._

Alan Langley Garber felt cramped in the VTOL, currently transporting him and at least ten TRIDENT mercenaries across the Kanto region towards the alien indoctrinated teenager that the satellite picked up lying against one of the few tree located on a grassy plateau on the outskirts of Tokyo-03. For at least ten minutes he had to put up with the crude banter coming from the mercenariess surrounding him. Soldiers of fortune outfitted in heavy-looking Kevlar body armour that were black/green coloured with helmets; but surprisingly they only carried their pistol sidearms.

The source of the among banter was a sandy-blond haired man with a Texas drawl with his helmet off and instead wearing a red headband around his head.

"…and I'm fuckin' telling ya we shouldn't be here! Japan! Birthplace of anime, schoolgirls, tentacles and used underwear dispensers! What the blue fuck are them Jap boys doin' perverting everythin' anyway?"

"Shit, tearing Japan a new hole already, Holmes?"

"As long as we're stuck 'ere on these islands, why the fuck not?"

The merc known as Holmes growled, "I'm keeping the fuck away from anywhere that ain't military so long as we're here! Cause knowing what them Japs get off on makes me wanna puke my guts out!"

Garber rolled his eyes…

**Hillbillies are **_**still **_**allowed to join PMCs?**

"Hey!" Holmes saw the look on Garber's face. "You got a problem, corporate man?"

"Yeah," Garber grounded out. "My daughter's about quarter Japanese."

"Oh," Holmes smirked and crossed his arms. "Well…you have my deepest sympathies."

"Go fuck your cousin hillbilly!"

Holmes suddenly got up from his seat, rage on his face. He was immediately held back by two of his colleagues.

"Oi!" an Australian accented merc whose face hid behind a balaclava. "Thought you'd gotten over being called hillbilly?"

Holmes snorted and sat back down, "Whatever, kangaroo boy!"

The door leading into the cabin leading from the cockpit opened and in stepped a moustached African-American man wearing a forward military cap. He smirked as he carried two steel briefcases in his hands.

"Gentlemen…our _noble_ co-benefactor Ms. Yutani has contributed to our upcoming war against the aliens," Lt. Apone declared, his charisma coming natural for someone of his prior experience in the United States Marines. "Allow me…"

He saw the briefcases down.

"…the present the fruits of Ms. Yutani's R&D department's long, hard, year-long labour."

The briefcase opened automatically to reveal about ten green coloured, high-tech looking rifles with oversized hand grips. Apone bent over and picked up one of them, holding it with one hand.

"The Mark-1 Pulse Rifle, gaze upon it!" Apone declared. "The future of badassery right here!"

The mercenaries all glanced at one other excitedly, now knowing the reason why they had been ordered to relinquish their rifles before going on this mission. Garber leaned back in his seat and stared Apone directly in the eyes.

"And we have Mr. Garber here to thank for requisitioning them for us," Apone pointed at them. "Say thank you to the nice man, kiddies…"

The mercenaries all chorused, "Thank you, Mr. Nice Man?"

Laughter then broke all around as they all reached forward and procured a pulse rifle.

"So…it's just the one kid, right?" Apone inquired of Garber, reaching behind himself.

"Schaefer briefed you, didn't he?"

Apone produced a Cuban cigar, put it to his mouth and lit up, "Just wanna make sure Mr. Weyland ain't keeping any surprises from us."

He was then serious.

"_Right_?"

"It's just the one kid," Garber stated. "And if those satellite images are correct to assume something big is following him about, he might be needing a hand sometime shortly. And we'll be there to lend it to him."

Apone blew smoke out his nose, "Trying to get on the aliens' good side? Got to say, that's pretty damned ambitious of the corporation."

Garber smirked, "Wish Corporate America luck, will you?"

(SSJNYH)

"Zzzzzzz…ah…huh? Ah…pauk…"

Shinji sat up off the grass, having fallen asleep seemingly in the middle of nowhere outside Tokyo-03. He rubbed his eyes and looked up, seeing that it was night-time and the stars were the brightest that he's seen in a long while. He grimaced and rubbed his back, having slept on the ground.

He then noticed that his fingers were covered in dried blood, having killed those two thugs in the alleyway last night after leaving Misato's apartment. After leaving Misato sleeping in his bed…

Shinji let out a sad sigh…

**I feel a special kind of warmth for the first time ever…and I throw it away just to protect her…**

A gust of wind blew by and he wrapped himself in his cloak, shivering.

**Ah…I would have lost it anyway if…**_**he**_**…knew about Misato-chan. Not just…the **_**Beast**_**, but…**_**Ikari**_**…as well. Ikari took away my happiness once…**

He growled.

…**he would have done it again.**

CLICK!

"Hey…!"

Hearing the sound of a rifle's safety being clicked off and a deep, throaty growl from behind him, Shinji felt the adrenaline course through him as he extended his wristblade and spun around ready to slash the idiot who had somehow managed to sneak behind him and still give himself away. He paused when he found himself staring into Kensuke Aida's smiling face, albeit with a touch of camouflage on his face and dressed in a mock soldier's uniform and helmet.

"….hi."

Shinji greeted him once again in an awkward manner. And he could tell that Kensuke's rifle was a fake judging from the fact that he could hold it with little difficulty.

"Wow…pretty quick, Kasumi."

Shinji sighed and retracted his blade, "What are you doing here?"

"Right back at you."

Shinji could see Kensuke's camp a few yards away.

"Sleeping," Shinji answered first as be brushed strands of grass off himself "You?"

"Playing war," Kensuke replied, still smiling.

"By yourself?"

"Uh…well…yeah…" Kensuke turned red.

**Weirdo.**

"Got water?"

"Huh? Oh…yeah, sure."

Kensuke handed Shinji a cantina and he immediately took a swig from it, then poured some water onto his fingers to wash the blood off. Kensuke's eyes widened when he did this.

"No way," Kensuke stepped back from him. "That was you, wasn't it?"

"_Wasn't it_ what?" Shinji didn't look at him as he wiped his hands on his cloak.

"You killed those two thugs that jumped that girl?" Kensuke almost exclaimed.

He then smiled, drawing Shinji's attention.

"You're happy about that?"

"Duh! They were bad guys you killed!" Kensuke couldn't contain his excitement. "I'd pay to see you take out…"

"You already have, remember?" Shinji interrupted him, slowly getting annoyed by this otaku that he couldn't keep himself from running into.

"Yeah, but…"

They then heard Shinji's stomach rumble. Shinji sweat dropped…

"Soooo…want something to eat?"

(SSJNYH)

Soon the two of them were sitting around Kensuke's campfire eating a later dinner. Kensuke noticed Shinji picking at the food on his tray with his chop sticks, having only eaten a little bit. He thought that Shinji had cooled off a bit…

"Bet you sit around a lot of roaring fires, huh Kasumi?" Kensuke said. "Y'know, flying to all those different planets."

Shinji glanced up at him, "Yeah."

He ate some more rice.

"And I usually see planets up close in the night sky."

Shinji glanced up at the sky, the faraway lights of Tokyo-03 doing little to abscond their near perfect view of the starry sky. Kensuke regarded Shinji curiously, before he too looked up. As Shinji continued to speak, he couldn't help but be in awe.

"Planets, nebulas, hunter ships," Shinji went on. He then smiled, "It's great."

Kensuke's eyes widened, seeing Shinji smile for the very first time, "Wow."

He then looked down at Shinji, who went back to eating off his tray.

"Just…how many planets have you been too, anyway?"

"Besides this rock and the homeworld? About four."

Kensuke whistled, then enquired again, "Where is your homeworld anyway?"

Shinji frowned slightly, annoyed by his prodding, "Not in the Solar System, that's all I'm saying."

The otaku had been absorbing everything Shinji had been saying but seeing that frown made him start to feel cautious.

**Damn, I've got so many things to ask him and I think I'm already starting to piss him off.**

His eyes then scanned the ground, contemplatively. Shinji, however, spoke up next…

"You're really into other worlds, huh Aida?"

"Oh…yeah," Kensuke grinned. "Always wondered if there were really aliens out there.

"And there are." Shinji regarded him curiously, "And what's already happened to you hasn't spoiled your…what you think about the rest of the universe?"

"Nope!" Kensuke interrupted him shook his head. "There has to be aliens out there that don't think humans are either lunch or target practise, right?"

"What do you think?"

"Definitely," Kensuke sounded warm. "There's you."

(SSJNYH)

**Me?**

**He still thinks I'm not from here? Hasn't he noticed I haven't got speckles on my skin?**

"…and that big guy that helped me and Toji a couple of days ago."

Shinji stopping being introspective and looked at Kensuke oddly, "Nam didn't split the guy in half to save you, you know."

He then narrowed is eyes as he felt sullen.

**Aida wouldn't stand a chance if he was ever taken off Earth.**

"He always likes to show off the brutal kills," Shinji said about Nam.

Kensuke's eyes widened, "Whoa…really?"

Shinji inwardly sighed.

**Seriously, what's the matter with this ooman? Chased by Kainde Amedha, towered over by Paya Amedha and shot at by trigger-happy oomans; he should be a nervous wreck! I'd pick up on any sign of trauma just oozing out of him…and I'm getting nothing. Is he just hiding it?**

Smiling once again Kensuke continued, "Just how big was that guy anyway? I swear you're taller than anyone else I know and once you hit adulthood you're bound to be a giant or something…"

**Guess I'll have to ask him.**

"How are you feeling, anyway?" Shinji interrupted him, his tone of voice more of hard questioning than sincere concern. "After that battle against the Paya Amedha."

Kensuke paused, "Huh? Papaya-what?"

_**Papaya**_**? For pauk's sake…**

"The God Prey…I mean the big monster I killed. I thought you'd be a nervous wreck, you passed out after seeing Nam appear. And after everything you've been put through since I got here...I'm just curious…"

He frowned.

"You're not…shaken, right?"

Kensuke sat there, staring at Shinji blankly.

"Uh…you mean those same times you came along to save me and Toji?"

"Yeah?"

"Nah!" Kensuke grinned and stuffed his face. "Why should I? The big scary monsters came along, you killed them. They won't come back to get us, right?"

"The ones I killed? No."

"Then what I've got to be shaken over about? Heh?"

**Yep… he's traumatized. Just won't tell me.**

Kensuke then swallowed the food in his mouth and was pensive, "Toji's changed, though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," he smiled sadly. "He's worried about you, you know. Toji, and the Class Rep."

"Were they?"

"Yeah," Kensuke continued,. "The whole class, actually. Footage of the battle was leaked online and they all know it was really you that piloted the EVA. Everyone thinks you're a hero…"

He then chuckled and wiped his mouth.

"…and also think you're the biggest badass around."

Shinji eyes widened, then his eyelids dimmed and he cracked a small, sincere smile.

"That's…nice."

"I gotta tell you," Kensuke's smile matched his own. "Whatever problems you think you have, you're still one coolest, ass-kicking aliens around. And you get to play around with the most awesome weaponry in the galaxy, _and_ you get to pilot that big awesome robot."

He looked up at the sky and sighed, melancholy.

"I'd give anything to go into outer space like you."

Shinji was still smiling as he was talking. His innocence was…refreshing.

…

**I…Kensuke…I don't know what to…**

**I think I'm happy to hear him say all that. Cheesy and dorky like he is…but I'm happy to hear him all the same.**

"Do you think I would make a good Hunter?" Kensuke queried, almost hopefully.

That clenched it. Shinji chuckled, "You should just settle for trying to get into the EVA, Kensuke."

Kensuke sighed, "Aww…I'm never going into space, then?"

"Nope."

**Not if I have anything to say about it.**

His head darted upward from his tray when his senses went into overdrive and he begun to look around where he sat, now frowning intensely. Kensuke saw this.

"What is it, Kasumi?"

Shinji raised a hand to him, beckoning him to be silent. He then reached for his bio-mask and put it on, immediately going into thermal vision as he scanned the long grass over. His breath caught in his throat in slight panic when he saw large, familiar-looking heat signatures half the size of tigers slowly making their way towards their campfire, about five in total. One of them was slowly nearing Kensuke's backside.

Shinji reached for his sword…

"Kensuke," he said, seriously.

"Y-yeah!"

"DOWN!"

He drew his nodachi just as Kensuke cried out in panic and threw himself to the ground, just as a monstrous quadrupled alien resembling a skinned, mutant crossbred dog gone wrong leapt out the grass and towards Shinji. The boy swung his large blade just as he took a step to the side and sliced the creature horizontally in half, eliciting an interrupted whimper from the canine.

"Fuck…!" Shinji cursed in Japanese as blood splattered all over him and the two pieces flew into the tent.

"Wh-what is that?" Kensuke shrieked, more from the monster's blood that was now on him then anything.

**Deathhounds!**

One incredibly loud, piercing howl echoed all around Kensuke's campsite as the rest of the deathhounds broke cover and charged, coming at both Shinji and Kensuke from all sides. Shinji growled and the targeting system in his mask immediately locked onto the closest hound. His plasma-caster immediately lobbed plasma in it's direction and reduced it to gibs.

"KEEP DOWN!" Shinji shouted at Kensuke, his voice distorted by his mask.

Kensuke shivered and heard Shinji exclaim and he swung his sword and sliced another dog in half, followed by another plasma burst, then another distorted canine shriek. The next hound threw at Shinji, aiming for his sword hand, and knocked his nodachi out of his palms.

"_Pauk!"_

Kensuke looked up to see Shinji get knocked down by the hound and pinned to the ground, his hands immediately going for the hounds tusks as it moved to tear his throat out.

"Ken…!" Shinji managed out, almost telling him to run, but…

**Wouldn't do any good to tell him to run! Whoever owns these hounds are trying to separate us! They'll go for Kensuke…**

…**he's unarmed, and they'll still go for him. Only one sort of…oh no…NO!**

Kensuke looked at Shinji, panic evident on his face, and the hound currently on top of him trying to go for his throat, then seeing the other, last remaining hound slowly advance towards him. He then saw Shinji's nodachi lying on the ground. Kensuke gritted his teeth…

(SSJNYH)

**What am I thinking? Oh God…What. Am. I. Thinking?**

Kensuke got up off the ground, grabbed Shinji's sword and pierced Shinji's attacker through it's side, the blade easily going through the carnivorous alien dog like a hot knife through butter. The dog yelped and was stunned long enough for Shinji to push it off himself. The last remaining deathhound snarled and hurled itself at Kensuke.

The otaku knew he wouldn't be able to turn around and raise the sword in time. He could only whimper…

**Why?**

…this then became a cry of surprise as Shinji pushed him aside, wrist-blade extended. The deathound bowled Shinji back down, only this time the blade went through his skull and right through brain, snuffing his life out.

"SHINJI!" Kensuke cried.

"I'm ok…?"Shinji huffed as he pushed this last Deathhound corpse off him. "Ow…"

Kensuke winced when saw that Shinji's right shoulder was dislocated, no doubt from the force of the last Deathhound ramming itself at him. Shinji grabbed his should with his left hand and one…

CRACK! POP!

…of the joints later Shinji's right shoulder was back in place. Kensuke winched when he saw Shinji's moved his shoulder and arm around, and noticed no sign of discomfort on Shinji's face. His eyes widened and he couldn't stop himself from smiling, completely in awe of this friendly alien badass…or at least he still through he was an alien.

**Man, Shinji's people are badass! If they're like him at adolescence then they must be pure awesomeness incarnate as adults…**

"Hey Kensuke?"

"Ah…yeah!"

Shinji frowned and extended hish and, "Can I have my nodachi back?"

"OH!"

Kensuke realised he was still holding Shinji's sword. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and handed it to him. Shinji loosened the koshirae he had on his back and held it in his right hand as he sheathed the long sword into it. Kensuke continued to watch him as he then slung the koshirae across his back.

Shinji noticed Shinji was staring, "What?"

Kensuke shook his head, "That…that was incredible!"

"What was?"

"ALL OF IT!" Kensuke practically screamed in his masked face, his bloodstained face unsettling Shinji. "YOU KICKED ASS SHINJI, YOU REALLY KICKED A…"

Putting his hands on his shoulders Shinji forced Kensuke back and hissed, "There's nothing remotely incredible about fighting these Deathhounds!"

"Wh-what?"

Shinji looked around himself, "Letting loose the hounds, drawing the prey out…that kind of dirty tactic is only used by…."

He gritted his fists tightly, enough to make them crack and make Kensuke back away from him.

(SSJNYH)

**The Bad Bloods! **

**The Super Predators…**

Shinji eyes widened when his mind unwillingly made him relive his worse memories, his blank face frightening Kensuke as the Predator begun to shake involuntarily as shock mixed with realisation overtook him as stood there in a panicked daze, staring into space…

**NO!**

_MERL'WE! __**MERL'WE!**_

_**NOT AGAIN!**_

_D-don't look S-Shinji…p-please…_

_**PLEASE!**_

_Experience __**Hell**__, _faker_._

(黄泉)

It felt like the scar on his back was starting to ache when he felt Kensuke grab him by the shoulder. He quickly turned to see Kensuke staring at him, concerned.

"Huh?"

"Y-you ok, Shinji?"

"Wha…?"

"You'd gone blank for a second…"

The response he received was for Shinji to knock his hand away…

"Yeah."

…and walked towards the Deathhound, the won Kensuke has slayed. Extending his wristblade he plunged it above one of the Deathhound's tusk, blood spurting upward into Shinji's face as he tore off the tusk. He then stood up and stepped over towards a perplexed Kensuke.

"Hold your hands out, will you?"

Kensuke silently complied, Shinji then dropped the tusk into them.

"What's this for?"

"Souvenir," Shinji explained. "Or…you could keep a trophy of your first kill."

"R-really?" Kensuke stuttered, amazed as his smile crept back onto his face.

Shinji then became silent and focused, then spotlight shone on the both of them as a VTOL descended from the air. Shinji had heard the VTOL coming from almost a mile away and instinct ordered him to blast it out of the sky with his plasmacaster, but he dismissed it, for now.

"Shinji Ikari?"

Kensuke was startled to see five men dressed in flak body armoured over their black suits appear seemingly out of nowhere, carrying torches, a couple of them shining them on the corpses of the Deathhounds Shinji had slain.

"THAT'S **KASUMI**!" Shinji shouted, his hatred of that name hitting a nerve. He then composed himself and asked, "What do you want?"

"Who are you guys anyway?" Kensuke cried, having hid the horn beneath his back.

Amidst the roar of the VTOL hovering above them and illuminating the pair the men in back answered, "NERV Public Security and Intelligence Bureau."

'Section 2,' Shinji thought, remembering the guys in suits he can't help but cripple every time they cross paths.

The lead agent stepped forward, "In accordance with Clause 8 of the Public Security Act, we're ordered to escort you…"

He frowned when he directed his gaze at Shinji, wary that he had beaten up and/or tortured four of his colleagues.

"…back to Headquarters."

Shinji removed his mask, "Right. What if I don't want to?"

"Then we're authorised to use force if necessary."

The sounds of guns being cocked were heard and the boys saw the six other agents behind the lead producing H&K submachine-guns and aiming at them. Kensuke's eyes widened and Shinji winkled his nose and frowned.

**They're actually packing hardware around me now. They're learning.**

"Fine," Shinji snorted distastefully.

The NERV VTOL was suddenly struck by blue plasma that fired seemingly out of nowhere, not even Shinji was able to track where it fired from. The VTOL attempted to ascend but was blasted again and lost altitude. The boy Predator grabbed Kensuke…

"DOWN!"

…as the VTOL struck the ground, crushing a Section 2 agent with a loud crack before rolling over Shinji and Kensuke's head, where it rolled a few yards away and exploded, keeping the boys pinned down by the heat and glare; as well as knocking the other S2 agents down on their backs.

"Stay down," Shinji ordered Kensuke then stood back up, drawing his nodachi. He then shouted out loud in Yautja, "_WHERE ARE YOU, BAD BLOOD_?"

He turned his head to see the lead Section 2 agent back on his feet and aiming his pistol at him.

"What the hell did you just say?" the agent demanded, gun aimed shakily at the boy Predator.

"Aren't you supposed to be taking me back alive?"

"Your friend won't try anything if I'M POINTING A GUN AT THEIR PRODIGY, RIGHT?" he shouted out loud. "RIGHT?"

Shinji shook his head, "It's not _my_ people attacking us?"

He then noticed a red glare briefly hit him in the left eye before it landed on his forehead, giving off mild heat. The lead agent's eyes widened when he saw three dots arranged in a triangle upon his forehead. Shinji knew he was being targeted and quickly sprang into action.

"Wha…?"

The lead agent was cut off when Shinji charged him, and the cracking of plasma hurtling toward him was heard. Shinji then grabbed the agent by the straps of his vest and held tightly. The plasma that had been homing in on Shinji instead struck the agent in the back, the force of it blowing out his chest. The other agents saw this and quickly aimed their SMGs at Shinji. Reaction time still fast, Shinji grabbed his meatshield's gun…

**Let's see if I remember anything from NERV's firing range…**

…turned around and fired at the other agents, hitting them each in the head or chest.

BLAM!

"AWK…!"

BLAM!

"GAKK…!"

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

He killed the remaining five agents before they had the chance to pull the trigger. Genuinely surprised at how adept he is with a H&K produced handgun, he briefly stared at it…

**I **_**am**_** that good!**

…before glaring and emptying the pistol's magazine at where the plasma had been fired, hoping to draw his primary attacker out. Realising he was still holding the lead agent that served as his human shield against the enemy's plasma, he dropped him onto the grass, still alive but with a large, cauterized hole in his chest.

The lead agent coughed up blood, but his life was mercifully snuffed out when Shinji put his foot down hard on his throat, crushing his wind pipe and finishing him off quicker. Kensuke looked up from the ground to see Shinji surrounded by the dead bodies of Section 2.

(SSJNYH)

His eyes widened explicitly…

**He just some guy as a human shield, then wasted his buddies with one shot each!**

This time, however, he wasn't in awe. He was terrified.

"Stay…down," Shinji sternly ordered, not turning to face him and with sword in hand.

"_VERY GOOD, BOY!"_

Shinji tensed up when he heard that voice artificially reverberate all around him.

"_Mal'kafir_…!"

Kensuke's heard Shinji hatefully grind that out.

**Mal'kafir?**

(SSJNYH)

"VERY GOOD, BOY!"

Trekking across the grass with their cloaking devices on toward Shinji's position, Gaun and Merl'we froze when they heard that electronically loud voice boom across the entire area. Mana holding her position was due in part to her terror of that voice.

"G-Gaun-sensei…" she felt tears well in her eyes as bad memories subconsciously returned to her. "Is…that…"

Her Nyaka'de shook her head, "No."

**Worse.**

She growled.

**Mother!**

(SSJNYH)

"WHAT…WHEN?"

Misato was practically jogging through NERV HQ towards the closest surface lift when she had been sitting in her office and her cell phone rang; the surveillance technician on the other end informing her that the Section 2 team sent to retrieve Shinji dropped out of contact, and that TRIDENT had dispatched a VTOL towards their last known position.

"I'm heading over there now," Misato said. She then looked determined. "And ready a security detachment…"

She felt for her gun holster strapped her to chest.

"…tell them all the firepower they can carry."

She then hung up, and closed her eyes.

**I'm coming Shinji….**

(SSJNYH)

**Misato…**

Shinji spared his designated mate a thought as he switched his vision mode to tech, scanning the area for any signs of Predator tech. He saw two signals some distance away rapidly approaching his position…

**Gaun! Mana!**

…and sweated…

**Stay away!**

…recognising who they were.

**He…he's here. I…I can track him…**

He then gulped, terror finding it's way into his being.

…**but I can sense him. Oh pauk…oh pauk…**

**NO!**

He then sucked it up.

**Don't even go there, Cur…**

One loud CRACK later he was sent flying upward and landing painfully on the ground, left side of his face burning as if something had smacked it.

"Ah! Wha…KENSUKE!"

"SH-SHINJI!"

Kensuke was being held by the scruff of his shirt upward almost seven feet off the ground by a seemingly invisible force. Shinji quickly got up and grabbed his sword, his plasmacaster trying to search for the target but…

**What…my tech vision isn't picking the bastard up!**

"_Why don't you turn your Predator vision off, Faker?" _

As Shinji switched to his normal, ooman vision mode he could hear that voice was strangely feminine.

**Wait…**

…and saw that his enemy was cloak _perfectly_. No outlines of his…her shape whatsoever.

**This isn't Mal'kafir!**

"_Advancement in killing is a wonderful thing, isn't it Curved Blade?"_

"_Who are you?"_ Shinji demanded.

(SSJNYH)

Kensuke struggled to take his shirt off, drop to the ground and run as fast as he can away, but he then felt something sharp push against the back of his neck and stopped struggling. He then felt something warm and soft push against his back as well.

**Wha…?**

The figure assaulting him turned it's cloak off to reveal a ten foot tall female Yautja. Her skin was brown with white specks, dreaded tendrils of hair reaching down to her waist; she also had a large bust that pressed against Kensuke's back through her full grey-coloured body armour that was cut off around the navel, instead covered in mesh. Her biomask was something scary to look out, with the bottom jaw replaced by a beast's jawbone, giving it the appearance of an overbite, and twin tusks of a Deathhound coming out of it's sides. And she was armed to the teeth with everything a Predator should bring with him…or her.

Kensuke thought he was becoming aroused that a large female huntress was taking him hostage, but the fact that she was pushing her sharpened fingernails against his neck killed it.

"S-Shinji…h-help me…"

"_Let him go,"_ Shinji demanded. _"He's not worth anything…"_

"_Oh…I don't know," _ the hostile female Huntress cooed. _"I always wanted to know what being screwed by an ooman's like."_

She then chuckled behind her biomask and lifted Kensuke to face him. The otaku involuntarily shivered when she traced a finger down his chest, fear planted on his face.

"_I might start with the more easily scared ones…"_

"_Screw you!" _Shinji exclaimed, raising his middle finger for emphasis.

The Huntress froze, then purred seductively, "_Is that an offer, stud?"_

"_Come get me and find out!"_

She then dropped Kensuke and extended from her left arm a blade that was a big as Shinji's nodachi. She then roared and charged him, swinging her arm blade that lightly struck Shinji's nodachi, but was still able to produce sparks and almost knocked the Japanese great sword out of Shinji's hand. Shinji's auto-targeting system locked on the Huntress, his plasmacaster aligning itself to fire at her head.

The cannon discharged plasma close range, hitting the Huntress in the forehead and knocking her down. Shinji gritted his teeth, seeing that the plasma didn't even melt her large, monstrous looking mask slightly. The Huntress roared and lunged at the boy Predator. Shinji dodged left, swinging her blade and cutting the Huntress across her exposed midriff. The Huntress snarled and swung, hitting Shinji in the shoulder and knocking his plasmacaster off.

Panting, Shinji called out to Kensuke, "Ken!"

"Wh-what?" shock was slowly overcoming Kensuke over what the Huntress had tried to do to him.

"Run! Get outta here!"

Kensuke recovered, "Huh?"

Shinji dodged another swing, "YOU WANNA DIE? RUN!"

"Uh…uh…AHHH!"

Panicking, Kensuke ran to his bike and pedalled as fast as could out the area. He spared Shinji a glance, standing toe to toe against the Huntress, then looked ahead to see…

"AHH!"

…another masked Huntress, albeit slightly shorter, materialise in front of him. He swerved to avoid her, hitting a rock and flying over the handles, landing painfully and rolling down a hill, hitting his head.

The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was…

"GAUN-SENSEI…!"

**Gaun…**_**sensei**_**?"**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji felt himself tiring quickly as he defended himself against the Huntress' seemingly relentless blows, all the while mentally piecing together…

**Who is this Bad Blood? She looks like…**

Knowing what Shinji was thinking, the Huntress declared, "Mal'Kafir is my brother!"

Forcing himself not to relent upon being hit with that revelation, Shinji instead screamed…

"_**SCCCCRRRRRRRYYYYYY!"**_

…and threw himself against her, lifting himself off the ground with his feet and head-butting the Huntress from underneath the chin. Winded, the Huntress suddenly drove her knee into his chest…

"RAAAAAAARGGGGGHHHH!"

…and punched him across the face, knocking his mask off his face and sending him falling onto the ground. Shinji a hand to his chest as he found himself unable to breathe, then suddenly coughed blood and sucked in hair...

**Not good! She cracked a rib!**

The Huntress smirked behind her mask, rubbing her still pained chin, "I counted on you to do something stupid, you little fucker."

Shinji coughed again, and reached for his nodachi. He promptly received another kick, this time to the face and knocking him semi-unconscious. He then felt himself get lifted up in the air by his throat, and felt the Huntress' arm blade pierced the skin of his shoulder.

"AH!"

"I think after I kill you I'll track down that little four-eyed friend of yours," the Huntress growled. "The Arcturians are always bragging about human stamina…"

SHIINGGGG!

Now it was the Huntress' turn to feel steel on the back of her neck. She smirked behind her helmet and looked over her shoulder lightly to see Gaun, wristblade extended.

"It's about time you showed up."

"Drop. Him!" Gaun grounded each word out, malice in her voice.

The Huntress did so, dropping her pup on the ground and eliciting another pained groan from him. She felt tempted to give him another kick to the side, but felt Gaun suddenly draw blood as her blade pierced the skin on her neck.

"This how you treat your own bearer, daughter?"

WHAM!

She staggered to the side away from Shinji, Gaun having struck her in the side of the head. Gaun stood over Shinji protectively, the younger Predator painfully looking up to see his Mother stand between him and the sister of the Bad Blood he hated as much as he hated Gendo. He then coughed into his hand, and saw that it was blood.

**Not good! Definitely not good!**

Gaun removed her mask, attaching it to her belt, revealing pure, unadultered hatred towards the older female that was rubbing the side of her head nonchantly.

"_You…_are not my **MOTHER**!" Gaun spat the last word out with such venom that Shinji was taken back.

"And yet…we share the same skin," the Huntress, Gaun's mother, stated smirking. "Not the speckles, mind you…"

Gaun could hear her mandibles click with desire, fondly remembering _who_ she had force herself on to spawn her.

"…they're your sire's."

Gaun's targeting laser danced over her mother's heart, "I'll make you pay for what you did!"

"You mean conceiving you?" the Huntress hissed.

"_That_…"

She glanced down at Shinji, who stared back painfully.

"…and for threatening to put _my_ Pup through the same thing! You are _everything_ that is wrong with the Huntress!"

The Huntress snarled, "Really…?"

She then charged Gaun. Gaun fired plasma at her but the Huntress swung her arm blade and it exploded against the steel, melting the tips of it.

The Huntress swung her right foot upward and knocked Gaun's plasma caster off as she dodged. Assuming the Jehdin fighting stance, Gaun then thrust her wristblade forward, the Huntress however reached for the dagger on her waist and blocked it, parrying her then swung her left leg and knocking Gaun down.

The Huntress then produced her combistick, the blade resembling a ridged fishing spear.

"If you won't call me 'mother'," the Huntress growled down at her daughter. "Then know me as Kal'Vakir of the Sinister Eye."

She then bared her neck, revealing her clan marking that resembled an eye with a diagonal slash through it.

Gaun snarled and slowly stood, eyeing Shinji as he painfully got back up, left arm draped across his chest and nodachi in his left hand. She glared at Shinji, silently demanding that he stand down and only let her fight. Shinji knew that look and did so, kneeling back on the ground as trying to move without assistance would only himself more.

Gaun readied her wristblade, "You will not call me daughter. I am Gaun, Sired of Gaun-Thwei and Bearer of Curved Blade…!"

(SSJNYH)

"_Wait here, apprentice."_

"_Gaun-sensei…what about Shinji-dono?"_

"_I'll get to him! You stay here…and deal with __**this**__!"_

By _**this**_ Gaun had meant the unconscious bespectacled khaki wearing kid that Mana had rolled over to lie on his back. She kept looking down and him, then up the hill where her sensei and lord were fighting what she thought was the beast Mal'kafir, but who really was Kal'Vakir of the Sinister Eye.

Mana noticed what was still in Kensuke's left hand. Her eyes widened behind her mask…

**A Deathhound's tusk…?**

She then looked at his face.

**Did **_**he**_** kill it himself?**

"Urghhhhh…wha…?"

**Oh!**

Kensuke's eyes slowly opened, revealing a masked, long red-haired girl in revealing armour staring down at him.

**Good, he's OK!**

Kensuke blushed big time.

"Wh-what…?"

"You fell…" Mana's common Japanese was rusty. "Fell off thing…"

She pointed to his bicycle.

"…me watching you."

"Watching…SHINJI!"

He tried to get up, Mana however kept him down.

"Shinji's in trouble!"

Mana shook her head, "Sensei help him. I keep you here!"

She then heard the sound of another VTOL flying in from a distance. She growled and tapped her wrist-comp…

**Who's coming our way **_**now**_**?**

…changing her vision mode and allowing her to see another approaching VTOL craft in the distance.

(SSJNYH)

Shinji found himself coughing blood as Gaun and Kal'Vakir continued hacking away at one other, blades producing sparks between them as they fought. Right now it reallly was Gaun saying that he was her son that was keeping him conscious, and giving him quite possibly the will to survive.

"_Bearer_ of Curved Blade?" Kal'Vakir shrieked at her daughter. "You consider the Pyode Amedha _your_ blood? Ashamed to continue our line…?"

WHAM!

Gaun delivered a very painful headbutt to Kal'Vakir's protected forehead, causing the larger female to stagger backwards. She then thrust her wrist blade and pierced through the Bad Blood's right shoulder, eliciting a pained, yet terrifying roar that felt like it was enough to shatter her mask.

"Nothing will take him from ME!" Gaun bellowed, twisting her blade.

Kal'Vakir grabbed her left wrist and with her right hand and twisted it, causing Gaun to cry out. She then forced Gaun to pull her blade out of her shoulder then jerked her arm suddenly and violently to the side, almost snapping it in half. She then reared her blade back, almost ready to impale her. She then froze, retracted her blade, and instead punched in the chest, winding her and causing her to stumble fact and fall to her knees, arms wrapped around her chest.

**NO!**

Gaun became distressed, knowing that she was going to make her experience something MORE horrific then death, and it would involve Shinji. Kal'Vakir walking towards Shinji proved it. The boy snarled up at the Super Predator, and was immediately kicked upside the head and fell onto his back, more blood spewing up from his mouth.

"GHARRRKKK…"

Gaun bellowed and forced herself back onto her feet.

"S-stay away from him!" Gaun yelled. "This fight is with me!"

"The fight's over, daughter!" Kal'Vakir's foot kept Shinji pinned to the ground. "Now…"

She removed her mask, revealing her smirking, abominable looking face that looked like the common Yautja face but twisted by evil. Gaun frowned and snarled angrily at her, before a burst of pain made her legs feel like jelly and forced her back onto her knees.

"I'm going to make _you_ watch_!_"

Gaun's eyes widened…

"Just as my _brother_ made _this_ pitiful ooman watch!"

…she thought tears were beginning to form in her left eye.

**I'm going to lose him…**

Despair built up inside her when bad, near-forgotten memories surfaced in her minds eyes…

And all of them involved a brown-haired ooman girl, and she had been the same age as Shinji when Gaun lost her to forces beyond her control…

**Just like I lost Straight Blade!**

She then shook her head and roared…

**NO I WON'T!**

…fighting off much pain to charge Kal'Vakir. Her mother snarled and turned her attention back to Gaun, but quickly raised her arm to shield herself as four shuriken flew at her and embedded themselves into the bone of her arm. Gaun had hurled them as she charged, and followed up with a shoulder charge; mother and daughter flying over Shinji and landing on the ground.

Shinji painfully turned to see his mother and 'grandmother' wrestling with one another on the ground. Gaun then had the upper hand, pinned her to the ground with her left hand grasping her throat and pummelling her in the face with her right fist.

WHACK!

WHACK!

KRUNCH!

BLAT!

"AHHH!"

Gaun stumbled backward off Kal'Vakir, the older Huntress having fired a spearhead from her wrist-comp that embedded itself in her chest. Shinji gritted his teeth as he tried getting back up, but the pain and blood loss proved too much. Kal'Vakir slowly sat back up, her mandibles appearing out of alignment from being punched repeatedly. Gaun pulled the spearhead out from her chest and attempted to get back up, but Kal'Vakir was already towering above her.

"On second thought…" Kal'Vakir growled and extended her arm blade. "I'll kill you first…and die knowing your pup will join you…eventually…"

"_**SCCRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYY!"**_

THWACK!

She suddenly received two feet firmly against her face in a kick, courtesy of an aerial red-headed blur that landed backwards on her hands before landing proper on her feet, wristblade extended from her left hand and dagger held in a reverse grip in her right hand.

(SSJNYH)

Panting, Mana revelled in the look on Shinji's face as he looked stunned to see her, her dynamic entry coupled with her war cry that she mimicked off him. Kal'Vakir growled at her…

"And what the pauk are you supposed to be? Another of Gaun's _children_?"

"_Her_ apprentice!" Mana yelled behind her mask. "And Shinji-dono's retainer! You lay a hand on either of them over my dead body!"

Kal'Vakir growled and prepared to fight when suddenly another VTOL appeared, down light shining on all four of the combatants on the grass. The Huntress growled…

"NOT OVER YET!"

…and cloaked, leaving no outline of her shape as she faded away, leaving Gaun, Shinji and Mana exposed. Gaun spat green blood to the side and tried to hobble over to Shinji…

_FREEZE!_ the VTOL loudspeaker boomed out. _NOT ANOTHER STEP!_

Shinji shook his head and yelled over at Gaun and Mana, "Just go! I'll…"

He coughed again.

"I'll…live…!"

Gaun nodded and grabbed Mana by the wrist.

"Gaun-sensei! What…?"

"We're leaving!'

Gaun tapped the button on Mana's wrist-comp that activated her cloak, before she turned invisible herself and quickly ran out of the direction of the spotlight…

_SHIT! THEY'RE GETTING AWAY!_

_FORGET ABOUT THEM! GET IKARI! AH SHIT…HE'S GONNA FALL…_

…then Shinji passed out.

(SSJNYH)

"Oh…fuck me sideways…"

"Yeah, he's a mess alright…"

"_This_ is the badass mecha pilot slash alien hunter?"

"How old is this little psycho anyway?"

"Can it, soldiers! Medic?"

"He's stabilized for now! Need to get him into surgery before his ribs puncture his lungs and he's lost a lot of blood!"

"We're not sending him to a Japanese hospital or anywhere with NERV's brand on it! Can you do something for him until we extract him to Weyland-Yutani…?"

"Yeah I can…"

**Wha…?**

Shinji felt woozy as he clawed his way out a haze of drugs, seeing almost a dozen face, staring down at him. His head felt like it was lying on something soft and he heard the sound of tape being unravelled.

"This'll keep his ribs together. Lift him up!"

**PAIN!**

Shinji suddenly screamed in pain as he felt himself involuntarily leaned forward and something being wrapped around his chest…

"AW CRAP HE'S AWAKE…!"

His wristbalde extended…

"OH SHIT…!"

"HOLD HIM DOWN!"

And felt his left arm pinned back down…

**C'JIT…!**

…and he passed out again…

(SSJNYH)

…the next time he came too he found himself staring up at the almost tear-filled orbs of Misato Katsuragi, who was smiling down at him.

"Shinji!"

"M-Misato…KOFF…!"

Shinji raised his left hand in front of his mouth to stop himself from coughing in Misato's face. Misato leaned back some, giving him space and allowing him to notice the two NERV medic currently working on him. The sounds of people shouting back in forth in English and Japanese was heard. Shinji realised that he was still in the same grassy area outside Tokyo-03, albeit bandaged up, and that NERV personnel were currently competing in a shouting match with the TRIDENT mercenaries.

"Misato…? What…?"

"Shhhh…" Misato cooed. "It's ok, we're not letting…"

She frowned and looked off to the side.

"…those pricks take you away to God knows where?"

"Eh?"

Misato rolled her eyes and shouted out loud to the side, "HE'S AWAKE, AND WE'RE TAKING HIM BACK TO HQ!"

"_Like hell you are! _Like hell you are!"

He heard someone yell out, first in English which he couldn't understand, then in awkward sounding Japanese. Shinji grunted as he tried standing back up, hand moving to support himself against the NERV VTOL he had been lying next to it.

"Hey…" one of the medic cried. "What are you…?"

"Standing…up…"

Shinji gritted his teeth and NERV Security guards and TRIDENT mercenaries squaring off against one another. Among them he saw a guy dressed in casual wear approach them…

"Mr. Garber?" Misato acknowledged him.

"The Company is attached to NERV to deal with the aliens that just slipped back under our damn radar! Your Commander wants us to deal with those fucking things…" Garber then pointed at Shinji. "…and he knows where to find em'!"

"Well he can't tell you anything now," Misato stepped beside Shinji growled. "Because we got here before you corporates can take him away. And last time we checked he's an employee of NERV…and therefore protected under the revised U.N. Charter with regards to Special Agency NERV and blah blah blah…"

She then got in Garber's face.

"I'll keep it short: You can't lay a damn hand on him."

Garber glared straight at her, then at Shinji. He didn't bother to hide his discontent towards the NERV personnel and towards Shinji.

He was blunt, "I guess next time we'll have to be quicker when trying to snatch him, then. You guys won't be around to protect him forever!"

"Eh?" Shinji cried.

"You heard me, kid," Garber said. "You're important to my boss and he could really use your help against the aliens cropping up all over Japan, and with NERV making you pilot EVA-01 they don't exactly have your best interests in mind…"

"What…do you want from me?" Shinji asked.

"You co-operation."

"You tried…to kidnap me," Shinji wheezed. "You're not getting it."

Garber growled, "Big mistake."

He stepped forward towards Shinji, and felt Misato's pistol against his forehead.

"That's close enough!"

"_HEY!"_

Lieutenant Apone grabbed Garber and pulled him back.

"_What the hell are you doing, trying to get yourself killed_?" the merc squad leader demanded. _"All that shit you just said…!"_

"_Just telling them how it is,"_ Garber pulled his arm away from him.

"_Look, just come over here…_way_ over here…"_

Apone led Garber away from Shinji and Misato. The boy sighed in relief, leaning against the VTOL. He turned to Misato.

"What happened?"

Misato shook her head, then rubbed her left temple, "We intercepted these crooks trying to prep you for transport and we stopped them."

"_Stopped_ them?"

"Yeah," Misato hissed. "They thought they could get away with you without me knowing, those corporate assholes! The only thing that stopped us from firing on them is the fact we're all on the _same_ side."

"Heh…same side?"

She chuckled mirthlessly, "Yeah, hard to believe."

She then paused, then turned back to Shinji, concerned.

"You ok?" Misato asked.

"I'll…live," Shinji grunted.

"We'll get you to the hospital soon," Misato smiled. "One good thing those mercs did…they patched you up just before we arrived."

Shinji's eye widened when a certain bespectacled otaku returned to mind…

"Kensuke!"

"Right here?"

Shinji turned his head to see Kensuke step out of NERV's VTOL, his head bandaged up; and he was smiling widely.

"Hey Shinji."

The Predator couldn't keep the smile off his face, "You're alive."

"Yeah," Kensuke nodded, briefly glimpsing at Misato. "You're girlfriend saved me."

Shinji blushed red, as did Misato; then they started to feel dread.

**He doesn't mean…?**

"Yeah, Amazon chick with long red hair and a really big dagger," Kensuke went on. "Stayed with me until that…"

He then shuddered.

"…really big lady Hunter disappeared."

Shinji sighed, "Yeah…"

"Really Big Lady Hunter?" Misato queried.

Shinji growled, almost making Kensuke jump, "The worst kind!"

**Mother's own **_**mother!**_** Nam's a lot of things but 'liar' is not one of them! Kal'Vakir **_**raped**_** Gaun's father…and I didn't like the way she looked at both me…**

He briefly eyed Kensuke.

…**and Kensuke.**

"Hey Shinji? You OK, man?"

"I'll live, why?"

Kensuke stared at him, curiously, "You just took one heck of a beating and you're still able to stand?"

Shinji shrugged and smirked painfully, "Like you said, I'm a badass, right?"

"You better get back on board, Aida," Misato interrupted and nudged her head and rolled her eyes towards the VTOL. "We'll be leaving soon."

Kensuke nodded enthusiastically, "Yes ma'am

Kensuke then stepped back into the VTOL and the door closed behind them. Silence then overcame them as they watched the TRIDENT mercenaries and NERV security slowly step away from each other and return to their designated VTOLs.

"Shinji?"

"Yeah?"

"There's dead Section 2 agents strewn about…"

"They aimed guns at me…"

"Ok, say no more."

She then sighed. Another moment of silence passed.

"I…I'm sorry."

Shinji looked at her in surprise, not expecting that, "What for?"

"I…I'm sorry."

Shinji looked at her in surprise, "What for?"

Misato looked ashamed as she stared at the ground, "For last night."

"Why?"

The older woman frowned, "I…when you told me about your clan pairing us up I…I took it as an invitation to get closer to you…in…ah…"

She groaned and rubbed the back of her head, ashamed

"Sleeping in the same bed as you. I-I mean, I know we didn't do anything else but…"

Shinji stared at her thoughtfully, "If I didn't want to sleep beside you I would have said 'no'…besides…"

He smiled.

"You asked me if I _wanted_ you to be my mate, right?" Shinji explained. "I-I gave you my answer…"

Misato blushed.

"Oh?"

Shinji nodded, "Yeah…"

She then felt Misato's hand on his shoulders. He looked up at her face.

"Shinji?"

"Misato?"

"I-I need some time…"

"Time?"

"To think about all of this," Misato responded, as if in understanding. "Then…I'll…we'll see what happens, then, ok?"

Shinji regarded her for a few second, "Ok."

Shinji then cringed when she embraced him…

"Ow…ow…ow!"

"OH…sorry!" Misato released him, having causing him slight pain.

Shinji appeared sheepish, her hands still on his shoulder, "It's fine…ow…"

Misato smiled and released him, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Shinji nodded, returning the smile. "Ribs starting to graze my lungs I think…"

"Roger that."

Garber glared as the two of them walked off toward the NERV VTOL. If one could see him they'd think he was jealous that a brat like him could be intimate with a beauty like her.

"You better think about what I just said to you, Ikari!" he yelled after them. "It could mean not just life…"

Shinji paused.

"…hers, and everyone else you give a damn about!"

"Shinji?" Misato looked at him, concerned.

She then frowned over at Garber as he turned his back and joined the TRIDENT mercs waiting outside their VTOL. She then saw Shinji turn around…

"Wait."

…and call out to Garber, who paused. Misato watched as Shinji limp back towards the company man.

"There's one thing I _can_ tell you."

The company man smirked and turned around…

WHACK!

…and was promptly nailed in the mouth by Shinji's left fist, knocking him down. Misato's eyes widened with surprise. The other TRIDENT mercenaries all stared, flabbergasted; some of which whistled with approval. Apone just smirked, seeing Shinji cracked his knuckle as the American man nursed his aching mouth. Garber then glared at the Predator.

Shinji glared back. "Don't call me _Ikari_ again!"

He then turned around and re-joined Misato in the NERV VTOL. Garber got back up and spat blood to the side.

"You alright, Garber?" Apone asked, mildly amused.

"Fine," the American stated. "Just…fine."

(SSJNYH)

**Yeah…what stopped us from blowing these weirdos away and getting away from the little freak was a fucking piece of paper and the UN's wrath on Wall Street.**

**Speaking of which: My little girl's going to be working with **_**this**_** brutal little motherfucker? NERV's a fucking freakshow all right, and she's being sucked right into it.**

**Damn you, Kyoko!**

(SSJNYH)

Exhausted from the experience of her first real prowl, Mana Dagger Strike was fast asleep on her bed; still in armour and her weapons and equipment were scattered all over the floor. Gaun watched her quietly from the doorway, also still in armour, before closing the door.

She turned and found Merl'we standing approaching her.

"N'yaka-de," the younger Huntress greeted her former master with respect.

"Merl'we," Gaun greeted.

Merl'we leaned against the wall, rubbing her arms as if unsure.

"H-he's here, isn't he?"

Gaun stared at her, then frowned and nodded, "He is."

The younger Huntress looked down, closed her eyes and nodded, "Pauk."

She then looked up at Gaun, eyes filled with anger.

"I'll never, ever forgive if you let…that _beast…_lay his hands on my little sister!" she hissed, Gaun knowing she referred to Dagger Strike as her 'little sister'.

"He won't," Gaun responded calmly. "And Curved Blade will be the one to bring him down!"

"You seem sure about that."

"I _am_ sure…"

"Why not Nam?" Merl'we asked. "Or anyone else in the clan?"

"No one's shone more determination to end his life than _my_ pup," Gaun said, almost sounding proud.

Merl'we snorted, "Don't you think you're expecting a lot out of him?"

"It's what he expects of _himself_."

* * *

Koshirae – Japanese sword scabbard

Gaun-Thwei – Night Blood

_With the Shinji/Misato I think I'm written myself into a dead end…as in, I have no idea how to proceed. I'm still new to Romance, and I could use some advice if anyone's willing to give it. I'm using the formula that comes from plotlines involving arranged marriages and the like. You know…two people slowly warming up to each other. Thoughts, anyone?_

_Oh, and sorry the Kainde Amedha didn't make a return as a I promised. Those dog-like aliens from Predators seemed more realistic. Rest assured, there will be a definite chapter when they will return._

_Next chapter coming soon, completely Rei-centric. Stay tuned…_


	20. Chapter 19: Crimson and Azure

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_To __oceanberserker__: Damn right! Though I think Curved Blade, for Misato's sake, would __**force**__ himself to be patient with Asuka…and that runs out immediately before they even return to Japan. Imagine what Asuka would have to say/do in order to make Shinji finally lose his composure…_

_Archnecromancer King:_ _He has no idea about the story behind his name. He'll find out sooner or later and he'll react appropriately. And by that I mean __**badly**__._

_SeanHicks4:_ _Mana was originally from __**Girlfriend of Steel**__, another NGE spinoff video game._

_That new film __**Prometheus**__ by __Ridley Scott__, it's confirmed to be a prequel to the original __**Alien**__._ _Once it's released and I've seen it, I'll incorporate a few elements of it into this fic (it might end up becoming a NGE/Alien/Predator/Prometheus crossover). I swear some parts of the trailers remind me of EVA in a few ways._

_And the title to this chapter, a homage to __Random1377__'s Shinji/Rei fic __**of the same name**__. One of the first NGE fics I enjoyed reading._

_Hope __**you**__ enjoy reading this…_

* * *

Chapter 19 – Crimson and Azure

* * *

It took only a week for Shinji to recover from his injuries sustained during the fight against Kal'Vakir, where once again the NERV Hospital branch took note of his quick healing and how his opponent had truly been a dangerous one to inflict such damage on the normally hardy adolescent. Gendo had long returned to NERV and back into the shadows, leaving Kozo and Misato to keep watch for the next Angel attack.

Weyland-Yutani and their TRIDENT muscle established their headquarters in Tokyo-02, which formerly has been Matsumoto City. The mercenaries, however, had established a forward base just outside Tokyo-03 occupying one of the deserted JSSDF bases, much to the Self-Defence Forces chagrin. Within the week more troops and equipment were flown in; weapons and ground vehicles developed by the Company for their corporate muscle.

And with that a period of unease fell upon NERV…

(SSJNYH)

In NERV's commissary…

"So how many TRIDENT mercs are there?"

Makato checked his laptop monitor and turned back to Shigeru, "In Japan? About a thousand, one hundred and fifty-five."

"_That_ many to go after Shinji and his clan?" Maya asked, playing with her food with a fork.

"Not taking chances, I guess," Makato shrugged. He then leaned back in his chair, "Funny thing, though…"

"Yeah?"

"…half of TRIDENT deployed here are Valentines veterans."

Shigeru and Maya glanced at each other worriedly.

"TRIDENT _did_ fight the JSSDF in Korea, genius," Shigeru got up from his seat with his tray, which had his empty plate and utensils.

"And I've been…ahem…" Makato cleared his throat, indicating he was trying to be subtle about what he had to say. "Going over the deployment list. Almost that entire _half_ requested to be part of the Japan deployment."

"For real?" Shigeru now sounded interested.

Maya felt uneasy, "You don't think…they're still holding grudges, right?"

"I wouldn't blame them if they still did," Makato noted. "JSSDF shot civilians, when TRIDENT intervened _they_ were fired upon…and the mercs almost smashed them completely."

Shigeru shook his head and wondered out loud, "Why were mercs deployed during the Valentine Conflict anyway?"

Makato kept silent…

**The United States had interests in Korea when the Northern part of it finally collapsed. When the UN took control of the country, TRIDENT was contracted to recover what was left of the North's nuclear stockpile and deliver them to the United States…secretly. Besides being paid **_**a lot**_ **to get the job down, TRIDENT also recovered **_**a lot**_** of experimental technology as well….stuff the JSSDF were also interested in.**

**I'd say TRIDENT wanted some reason to eliminate the competition, and the JSSDF shooting civvies were the excuse they needed.**

Makato was unaware that second ago, the commander of TRIDENT had just walked past the Commissary door, escorted by the Head of Operations…

(SSJNYH)

Shinji winced slightly as he reached into his hospital room's closet and pulled out a grey coloured NERV uniform. A black shirt covered his bandaged chest and his legs were bare except for his underwear and the socks over his feet. He walked over back to his bed and sat down, gently pulling his pants up, groaning slightly as his still slightly stiff body ached.

He then put his uniform on. He contemplated leaving it unbuttoned, but remembered that a certain _someone else_ preferred his uniform left open, and he quickly buttoned it. He breathed in and out gently, relieved that it no longer hurt to breathe.

He then heard footsteps stop outside his room, followed by arguing…

"…so you can stop treating us like we are."

(SSJNYH)

Colonel Alan "Dutch" Schaefer didn't need to turn his head to the left to know that Misato was frowning directly at him as she escorted him towards Shinji's room. He inwardly smirked…

**Lucky little bastard…the way she's radiating contempt around me I'm having a hard time deciding if she's his big sister or his wife.**

"If I can say this out loud, _colonel_," Misato deadpanned. "You have _no_ idea how happy Kasumi will be to see you."

Not missing the sarcasm dripping from her lips, Dutch glimpsed her way and gave a light smirk, his response electronically translated into Japanese by the earpiece in Misato's left ear, "I just want to square things with him _before_ the next time he sees anything or anyone with the word TRIDENT or Weyland-Yutani printed somewhere on them."

Misato simply frowned. Dutch frowned harder, no longer being friendly.

"_We're_ not the bad guys here, _captain_!" he emphasised her rank compared to his as he faced her. "So maybe except for Garber, you can stop treating us like we are."

"The fact that I had to be _ordered_ by the Sub-Commander to take you to Shinji so you can talk to him speaks volumes about how I see the men under your command, _colonel_," Misato said, crossing her arms. "Next time you try to snatch him or any other NERV employee, all bets are off…"

The door into Shinji's room opened…

"_Yeah_," Shinji added, arm against the doorway and leaning against it, his English sounding awkward. "_So what you want_?"

Dutch's eyes widened when he saw how his hair was done, and the wrist-comps he had strapped on. And for a brief second he thought he was back in that jungle, staring down the ugly motherfucker that had killed his team as if it were hunting stag, said motherfucker's hand around his throat.

"To let you know that we had orders," Dutch replied. "And Garber was out of line…"

"_Waaayyyy_ out of line," Misato added.

"Anyway, Weyland is interested in meeting you…"

(SSJNY)

**I'm already being used by **_**one**_** old man. Hac'nikt!**

"_So why he don't see me?"_ Shinji interrupted.

"He's got business," Dutch groused. "With the asshole that's running NERV."

Shinji's eyes lit up…

**Eh?**

…and asked, _"Business?"_

"Not for me to say," Dutch went on. "I'm just letting you know right now that if we see any of your buddies, your _alien_ buddies, we will take action."

He then peered in close to Shinji.

"I'm giving you fair warning to keep your distance when it happens, kid. You can pass that along to whatever runs your whole setup in Japan."

Shinji frowned, racking his mind for any English word that he could possibly respond with, and have the appropriate amount of force in it. He settled with…

"_Fine," _Shinji said. _"You…get in way…"_

He then poked a finger in Dutch's chest, where his shoulder holster was located. Shinji narrowed his eyes…

"…_**they**__…__**I**__…kill you first."_

Dutch nodded, "Fair enough. I'm out of here."

He then suddenly grabbed Shinji by the shoulder and peered in close.

"Have fun."

He then turned and left, passing by Misato.

"I'll find my own way back _up_. Thanks for your time, Captain, Pilot."

He then passed by a certain fourteen-year-old girl with azure hair and crimson eyes in school uniform and carrying her case, sparing her a intrigued glance before continuing on his way. Shinji and Misato turned their attention to her, Shinji's eyes softened and he felt his anger for the man who had threatened his clan subside in favour of curiosity towards this mysterious ooman.

**Rei Ayanami…**

"You have recovered, Ikari."

Standing behind him, Misato cringed and shook her head. Shinji frowned, feeling that anger return once again…

"_Kasumi_," Shinji said. "Call me _Kasumi_."

**He hates that name…**

"Yet Ikari is your real surname," Rei replied. "It is only appropriate I refer to you as such."

Misato slapped her forehead and groaned, "Rei…"

"Very well…_Kasumi_," Rei noted Misato's look of exasperation. "I will refer to you by your codename if it pleases you."

Shinji crossed his arms, "Thanks…ow…"

**Intriguing…**

He quickly uncrossed his arms, his aching ribs prompting him to just let his arm hang by his sides. Rei continued to stand there, emotionless.

"Heh…" Shinji smirked painfully, once again not feeling angry. "Hopefully by the time the next Paya Amedha comes I'll be ready to take it on."

"It would not matter…"

Rei then walked past him and down the hall.

"…I would be able to pilot EVA-01 if you were unable to."

Shinji watched her go, confusion plastered on his face.

"I think I made her mad," Shinji deadpanned..

"Nah," Misato smiled and shook her head. "Rei's like that with _everyone_."

(SSJNYH)

_Looks like humanity caught a break, eh Ikari?_

"You're referring to the S2 Organ recovered from the Fourth, Weyland?"

_What else? Besides Antarctica, humanity hasn't the chance to study Angel technology this close before. I'd say: 'I hope you know what you're doing, Ikari,'…but…_

Gendo frowned, holding the receiver against his ear a bit harder so as to not loosen his hold on from annoyance.

…_it's not really up to you, is it?_

"I cannot say anymore on the matter," Gendo said, frowning. "NERV has acquired the S2 Organ and will be sending it to Nevada by the end of the week. It will not be possible for you to have access to it."

_Shame. I'm curious: Do you plan on making sure Shinji doesn't try to kill you the next time you cross paths?_

**He's mocking me again. How does he know so much?**

Gendo paused, then answered, "I have leverage."

_That all? If I were in your shoes I'd try to make up for about ten years of…well…you know._

"I don't."

_I thought not. What Yui saw in you I'll never know. Until next time…_

_CLICK!_

Gendo put the phone down and pushed a few buttons on his terminal. It played back an audio file…

_("I…I didn't want to be alone…")_

_("You don't have to be.")_

He smiled…

**Shinji has something that's of worth to him.**

...and pressed ENTER again, stopping the playback.

**And with it, he will **_**beg**_** to continue piloting EVA-01 if he wants keep his arms around it.**

(SSJNYH)

"Hey Shinji?"

"Hmm?"

"You know…a bit of English?"

Leaning against his door as he rode shotgun as he and Misato drove home, Shinji rolled his eyes and responded, "Off that Garber tetch'na when the he was arguing with that soldier that smelt like cigarettes."

Misato smirked, "Heh…"

Her smile then faded.

"You killed those Intelligence Agents."

"Yeah."

Misato briefly looked at him, and that 'don't-give-a-crap' look on his face. She concentrated back on the road and thought grimly.

**I guess killing really is casual for him. That's not good at all.**

"Something wrong?" Shinji turned to her. "You have _that_ look."

"That look that mean _I'm thinking_?"

"Yeah."

"Then _I'm thinking_,," Misato replied. "About the next time we'll be seeing those corporate assholes again."

**Asuka's dad.**

"We will?"

Misato nodded grimly, "Count on it."

Shinji frowned, "I'll kill them if they try to take me again."

He was then silent, then glanced over at her. What he said next, Misato couldn't keep a smile off her face…

"Or if they try take _you_ or anyone else I know."

"Right back at you, Shinji."

(SSJNYH)

Shinji was back in school the next day, and everyone in Class 2-A made it a big deal in welcoming him back, no doubt because he brought down the Fourth Angel and saved the city once again, this is especially true of Hikari and Kensuke. Toji, however, kept his distance, leaning against the far wall of the classroom. Shinji looked over at Rei past the sea of his classmates smiling faces and words of praises, seeing her stare at the window as if at something only she could see.

**Ayanami.**

(SSJNYH)

After class ended Shinji was at his locker, briefly rubbing his aching side as he put his last lesson's book away and retrieved the ones needed for next class. Hikari looked over her shoulder at Shinji as she closed her locker and grew concerned.

"Are you still in pain from that fight, Kasumi-kun?" she asked as she approached him.

Shinji turned to see her…

**Which fight? The one against the monster shaped like a guy's organ? Or the monster who gave birth to Mother?**

...and nodded, "Yeah."

"You'll be ok, though. Right?"

Shinji smiled, "It'll take more than _that_ to stop me, Horaki-chan."

Hikari involuntarily blushed at his bravado and affectionate words, and smiled back. When he closed his locker they saw Toji having stood behind it, Kensuke hovering close by.

"You," Shinji's smile faded.

"Kasumi," Toji greeted him, then at Hikari. "Class rep."

Hikari frowned and replied in a warning tone, "Suzuhara…"

"Relax," Toji frowned. "I'm here to square things between me an' the badass here."

"Uhhh…" Kensuke was starting to feel uncomfortable being around him once again.

Toji put his left foot forward and jabbed a thumb towards his face.

"Hit me."

**Huh?**

(SSJNYH)

**I'm insane…**

Alarmed, Hikari exclaimed and drew the attention of several passing students, "What?"

Kensuke was alarmed as well, who immediately facepalmed and whined, "Tojiiii….just say sorry, would you?"

Seeing Shinji's flabbergasted face, Toji explained with narrow eyes, "I slugged the guy that saved my life and I got the feeling I'm gonna be feeling bad about it for a least a year unless you pay me back…"

Beat.

"…preferably _without_ interest," Toji quickly added. "But so long as it hurts."

Shinji involuntarily clenched his right first, feeling the bones crack, and saw people gathering around in the hallway around them.

"You'd let me hit you?"

Toji smiled and closed his eyes, pointing at his chin, "Sure. Sock me in the face. Lemme' me have it."

"No.

**GAK!**

Toji's eyes shot open in shock. "What?"

He then shouted, "Why the hell not?"

Shinji smirked, "I'm not telling you when it's coming."

**Oh fuck!**

Now Toji was afraid, "W-why?"

He glimpsed at Hikari and her shocked expression. He inwardly sighed, but was still smirking at Toji's predicament.

"Because I can."

Toji sighed loudly, "You're cruel, you know that."

"When I want to."

The crowd that had been forming around them quickly dissipated, many of them groaning in disappointment. Past Toji's shoulder, Shinji thought he saw Rei staring at him briefly, before collecting her books, closing her locker and walking away.

Shinji strode past Toji, who quickly back off away from. "Don't wait up, you guys."

Toji, Kensuke and Hikari watched him walk off down the hallway.

"Hey," Kensuke said. "Wonder what's got Shinji so spooked?"

Hikari frowned, "_You_ guys."

Kensuke smiled when he suddenly remembered…

"Hey, I got something I wanna show you."

"Eh?" Toji cringed when he felt Kensuke grab him and Hikari by the shoulder and lead them down the roof.

"Up on the roof. C'mon…"

(SSJNYH)

Outside within the school grounds Rei was sitting alone on a bench reading. Shinji watched her as she approached her from behind.

**Rei Ayanami, Age 14. The First Child, assigned to Evangelion Double Zero, the original prototype. First designated by the Marduk Institute as pilot of a sixty foot biomechanical death machine. That all it said on her file…except for **_**biomechanical death machine**_**.**

Shinji looked sad as he got closer.

**She's so different without the bandages. In a way, she still looks **_**different**_**. Different from anyone else I've met.**

He approached her, "Ayanami?"

"Kasumi."

Rei was still sitting on the bench reading her book, indifferent to Shinji standing beside the bench staring down at her.

"Can I sit here?"

"If you wish."

He did so, placing his pack next to Rei's. They spent some time just sitting there, Shinji going through his head about what he should say next, that lousy feeling of awkwardness returning to him.

"You had been hurt when EVA-00 went berserk during it's Reactivation Test, right?"

"That's correct."

"You…look different without the bandages."

Rei didn't respond. Shinji then smiled and turned to her.

"I'm glad."

The blue-haired girl turned her head to see him smiling at her.

"I'm glad you're better. You look…better without the bandages."

(SSJNYH)

**Kasumi is trying to interact with me as a human being. The Commander says it's right to indulge him.**

"As am I," Rei replied, with no emotion. "I am well enough to return to active duty in two days."

Shinji's smile faded, "You are?"

"Commander Ikari deems it so. The reactivation of EVA-00 will commence _on_ schedule."

The Predator then frowned, "You shouldn't return, then."

Rei felt the urge to put her book down and face him fully. She complied.

"Why not?" she asked.

"It's because of _him_ you were hurt," Shinji responded. "And he'll make you hurt again if you climb back into that thing."

**I cannot continue this.**

Rei then put her book away back into her school case and stood from the bench. She then turned to Rei, and he was surprised to see her appear serious.

"_Your_ masters order you to pick up the sword."

'_Masters_?' Shinji was still frowning, "It's not the same. I _choose_ to go on the hunt…"

"The same way I _choose_ to pilot EVA," Rei responded coolly. "Goodbye."

Still sitting down, Shinji quietly, and almost sadly, watched her leave, wondering what he had said to make her walk away from him like that. He then looked down at his feet and growled…

"Ikari.."

He then muttered.

"You tetch'na."

(SSJNYH)

"Holy crap."

"Is this a…tusk? Is it real?"

"Uh-huh?" Kensuke nodded, sitting on the ground on top of the roof, a dumb grin on his face he held the tusk in his hands, having pulled it out of his backpack. "And this could be my big chance!"

"Chance?" Hikari questioned. "Chance at what?"

Kensuke turned his head towards the both of them, thinking they didn't know what he was talking about. "Going into space, hell maybe…"

He grinned.

"…maybe becoming part of Shinji's clan."

"The hell?" Toji cried. "Ok, now you're crazy…"

"Guys," Kensuke hushed them. "What if Shinji isn't an alien…"

"Wait, what?" Hikari frowned, the first time hearing Shinji being an alien. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, dammit," Toji rubbed his forehead. He turned to Hikari, "We think Shinji's an alien that came out of that UFO that crashed."

"What?" Hikari cried. "You actually believe those rumours?"

"Keep it down," Toji gritted his teeth. He turned back to Kensuke, "The heck you were sayin'?"

"Yeah…uh…what if Shinji isn't really an alien, but he was…you know…inducted into their clan," Kensuke whispered, excitedly. "I mean…he did something so awesomely badass when he was…like…five or something and they took him in and….well…"

He nudged his head to the side, smiling.

"…look what _they_ turned him into."

**Hey, is that Shinji and Rei talking with each other below us?**

Toji smirked, "Dream on, Kensuke. No way Shinji'll let you prowl around with him. Don't tell me goin' into space and gettin' chased by aliens shaped like my _you-know-what_ is the reason why you wanna hang around him, right?"

Kensuke was silent when his mind reflected on that long reddish-brown haired hunter around his age that looked after him while Shinji fought that large Huntress that quite possibly put some very unwanted moves on him. He couldn't help but shudder…

"Whoa…" Toji saw him shudder. "I saw _that_."

All this time Toji and Kensuke were bickering Hikari walked over towards the roof's railing and glanced at the area below her. Her eyebrows raised when she saw Rei walking away from her usual place outside, and from Shinji who was watching her go. Hikari could make out a disconcerted look on the Boy Predator's face.

There were rumours that Shinji was not human, that he was an alien and came down with the UFO that blew up. Hikari easily dismissed them, but to hear Toji and Kensuke expand on those rumours, the ones whom were arguably had been around Shinji _before_ he enrolled in Tokyo-03 Municipal, she couldn't bring herself to fault their logic…

…**even if they are a couple of dorks.**

Hikari continued watching Shinji as he followed after Rei and stepped back into the school building amidst a sea of other students. She appeared solemn.

**So **_**what**_** are you Shinji? Human like me and everyone else? Or are you really **_**not like**_** everyone else?**

(SSJNYH)

Another day passed and Shinji was able to remove the gauze covering his frame, though his body still ached a bit. As Pen-Pen ate steamed fish from a bowl from behind his chair, Shinji was sitting at the table doing his homework, scribbling with a pencil with his left hand as he reached for an apple from the fruit bowl in the centre of the table. Shinji grimaced slightly as he slowly wrote each kanji down…

**This is a pain, having to catch up to six or seven years' worth of homework.**

He took a bite from the fruit, paused, then stared at it. He then narrowed his eyes and begun clenching his hand around it as hard he can.

Ten seconds later the apple was crushed, juice squelching outward from between his fingers. He frowned.

_**Still**_** need some more time to get better. I would've crushed it in **_**five**_** seconds…**

"Oh Shin-chaaaaaaannnnn…"

(SSJNYH)

Misato tossed the towel she had used to dry herself off after getting out of the shower over her shoulder and into the washhouse sink as she stepped into the living room, dressed skimpily as per usual. She inwardly smirked as Shinji frowned over at her.

"Really, Misato?"

"Hey it's hot, so sue me."

**Seriously I thought he wouldn't mind. We are **_**engaged**_** after all…heh. **

**That **_**still**_** sounds weird…**

Shinji noted how much more frequent Misato continued to tease him after telling her about the 'betrothal' between the two of them by the Clan. Nothing overtly explicit, just the usual: Wearing skimpy clothing around the apartment, drinking until she was half-smashed and referring to Shinji as 'chan'. Normally this didn't get a reaction out of him, until one time when Misato visited him in the hospital she referred to him as her future 'hubby' and he turned bright red and she could've sworn he shifted uncomfortably and briefly adjusted his pants underneath the blankets. That got a good laugh out of her, and a very mean glare from Shinji.

**Wonder why I'm acting like **_**we**_** are genuinely engaged?**

"Oh, take this…"

"Eh?"

Shinji accepted a red-coloured card from Misato. One with his face and name on it.

"Your NERV Security Card," Misato said with a wink and a smile. "No more breaking in through the ventilation shaft for you."

**I'm joking…heh…**

"…thanks," Shinji replied, knowing she was joking but deciding to act unsure about it.

"Oh, and take this as well?"

Another card Misato handed to him had…

"Ayanami?" Shinji noted.

"Yeah," Misato mentioned as she cracked open _another _beer. "Rits gave it to me by mistake. You mind dropping it off at her place tomorrow?"

"_Where_ is her place?" Shinji asked, putting the card aside and resuming work.

"Some apartment block near the industrial sector, Room 402," Misato answered as she sat down at the opposite end of the table, drinking.

She noted Shinji's indifference. She smiled.

**Can't resist…**

"I thought you'd be more excited that you'll be seeing Rei again, Shin-chan?" she prodded him, figuratively.

Shinji looked up at Misato. He then smiled lightly, "You won't mind me going to see _another_ girl?"

"Why would I…?"

Shijni narrowed his eyes. Misato's eyes widened…

"Oh…"

She blushed.

"Uhh…well…"

**Hey, wait…is **_**he**_** teasing me?**

Misato then decided to change the subject, "Hey…what are you working on?"

Shinji stared down at this work, "Remedial Maths. I guess they figured out I was out of school for a _very_ long time."

"Hmm," Misato put her beer down and looked thoughtful. "Yeah…maybe it was a bad idea to enrol you in High School when you hadn't already completed, what, third grade yet?"

"It's no problem," Shinji replied, solely in concentration mode now. "People wouldn't see as ooman if I didn't go."

Misato smiled at him working hard, knowing he was making friend at Tokyo-03 Municipal and gradually rediscovering his humanity. She had seen him hang around the Toji, Kensuke and Hikari…

Her smile faded. Hikari Horaki?

**Hey…did I just feel jealous over a fourteen year old girl?**

(SSJNYH)

The next day, Shinji's walked down a seemingly empty part of Tokyo-03 towards where Ayanami lived. The Boy Predator zipped up his black hooded jumper when a cold wind breezed past him, proceeding to walk down the empty road.

Shinji's heart sank as his eyes scanned the dreary looking tenement blocks…

_**They**__**let**_** Ayanami live here…alone? Misato?**

He growled…

**Ikari…**

He then sighed and continued walking towards Rei's designated block. Ten minutes and a lot of stair climbing later he found himself standing outside Apartment #402. His finger pressed the doorbell…

"Broken," he said to himself.

He then reached for the door handle, briefly contemplating just inviting himself in. He opened the door…

"Ayanami?" Shinji called out. "It's Kasumi."

He left his shoes at the door and stepped in, feet touching the black and white tiled floor

"Are you home?"

He then stepped down the hallway…

"I'm coming in. I…"

He stopped when he saw how miserable Rei's place was: Dirty cracked floor and walls, a single bed, small fridge with what appears to be medicine on top, boxes full of useless crap and a small clothes hanger hanging above the single bed. Shinji's eyes widened, then he scowled…

**How could they let her live alone in a miserable place like **_**this**_**? How can Ayanami stand it?**

**Has Misato ever been here?**

He noticed something glinting at him from the top of the clothes draw. He stepped over to it and was surprised to find a pair of glasses sitting in a case. He raised an eyebrow…

**These can't be Ayanami's.**

He gently picked it up, and saw that the lens were cracked. He saw the kanji written on it.

**They're **_**Ikari's!**_

Shinji Curved Blade involuntarily gritted his teeth and felt the impulse to snap them in half, imagining it as Gendo's neck…

**How much does **_**that ooman**_** involve himself in Ayanami's life?**

Shinji heard the bathroom door creak open and he turned around.

**Oh!**

Shinji's eyebrows raised and he immediately turned red when he saw Rei walking towards him wearing nothing _but_ sandals and a towel draped over her shoulders.

"Uh…"

…and dropped the glasses, which cluttered to the ground. This provoked a reaction out of Rei, stepping forward and bending over to pick up the glasses. Shinji quickly stepped to the side and allowing her to put them back in the case, staring at her all the way. She didn't appear to object to him staring at her naked form so he felt no reason to look away, instead looking her in the eyes. However having briefly given her one over he had to admit she a nice-looking body, though it paled in comparison to others he had seen - naked or otherwise.

And all those time were complete accidents.

"Kasumi," she finally greeted him.

"A..yanami," Shinji responded, still staring. "I…"

She stepped out of her sandals, dropped her towel and reached for her panties. Shinji watched her as she pulled them up, an unlikely mix of mesmerisation and indifference on his face.

"What can I do for you?" Rei asked him as she reached for her bra, indifferent to him being there watching her dress.

**If Nam were here he'd **_**ORDER**_** me to claim her right there on the spot…**

**And Mother and Merl'we told me all **_**that**_** stuff about respecting a female's space…**

**Mother, Merl'we…**_**and**_** Misato…**

Shinji reached into his pocket and pulled out Rei's ID card, "Your…ID Card. Misato asked me to deliver it…"

"Just leave it on the table."

"Ok."

Shinji swallowed and left the card on her small table. He then turned towards the door.

"I'll…just be leaving now."

He looked over his shoulder to see her putting on a blouse.

"Good day, Kasumi."

Shinji nodded and stepped out her door. He then suddenly leaned back against the wall beside it, exhaled in a loud sigh and shuddered with unwanted arousal, face reddened and an uncomfortable feeling between his legs. That made him blush even harder…

**Pauk…**

(SSJNYH)

Sitting down in the living room and watching TV, _still_ dressed as skimpily as when Shinji left, Misato's eyes lit up as she heard her charge/fiancée return, followed by a loud sigh.

**Fiancée? HAH!**

Misato called out, "Hey Shinji. Get to Ayanami's place alright?"

"Y-yeah."

"She didn't weird you out or anything."

"…no."

She then heard him taking off his shoes and tossing them to the side.

"I need a shower."

She then smirked…

**Seriously, can't resist. Deadliest warrior on his home planet, but push the right buttons and he's easily the most flustered teenager in Tokyo-03…heh…**

"Don't take too long. I wanna have one when you're done," she called out, getting off the couch to face Shinji directly, smiling playfully, batting her eyelids and continued in a cutesy voice. "Unless you prefer we knock _both_ of them out…"

She paused, then slowed down when she noticed he was _already_ flustered.

"…at the same… time...?"

"Uh…no thanks," Shinji stumered, almost looking like he was able to hop on one foot into the hallway and out of sight. "...I…won't be long…"

He then disappeared, leaving Misato sitting there confused.

**He was already red faced when he got home?**

She then thought, somewhat alarmed…

**Rei?**

(SSJNYH)

Misato's teasing had proven too much.

**Correction: I need a **_**COLD**_** shower…**

Shinji quickly undressed himself and his hand went straight for the cold tap, the freezing water hitting him full blast once he stepped underneath the running showerhead and every hair on his body stood on end immediately.

"COLD!" the noise coming from the water drowning his cry out.

He was relieved when he felt the heat depart from his loins…

(SSJNYH)

…and it came right back to hit him (figuratively) between the legs the next day during lunch break at school, sitting up on the roof with Toji and Kensuke eating lunch and talking. Shinji noticed Toji looked a bit off today.

As did Kensuke, "Hey Toji, you don't look so fresh."

Toji yawned and nodded, "Nah! Didn't sleep well last night."

"Why's that?" Shinji asked.

"Nightmares, Shin-man," Toji replied. "Really…really _bad_ ones."

**My chest **_**still**_** hurts…goddammit.**

Toji noticed Shinji staring at him with eyes filled with rare sympathy, as if he knew what his nightmares consisted of. Toji scowled and looked away, not wanting _that_ from him.

**Ah, fuck it…time to ask im'…**

"Look, I need to ask you something really important," Toji seethed, as if desperate for relief. "I need to get it off my chest for good."

"What is it?" Shinji said, before drinking from his soda.

Toji hesitated, "Sooooo…?"

"Hmm?"

The jock smirked, "Ever done _it_ with a hot alien chick?"

"PTEWFTTTTTTTTTTTTT…!" Out came Shinji's orange soda, leaving him a coughing, spluttering mess and all over Kensuke.

"AHH…Toji!" Kensuke was equally shocked , not to mention intrigued, to hear the jock ask _that._

"W-what?" Shinji gasped. "…the pauk did you…?"

"Hey, c'mon it's a perfectly reasonable question," Toji was quick to defend himself. "Your Clan can't suffer you bein' a virgin after demonstratin' how much of a badass you are…right? They must 'ave made you pop your cherry at some point."

Toji then smiled hopefully.

"You can tell us, we're open minded."

"W-we are?" Kensuke wondered out loud.

Shinji wiped his mouth, paused, then smirked and asked coyly, "Well, I…I could tell you about the time, on my _**twelfth**_ birthday, Nam took me to a pleasure house on some distant planet and I lost my virginity to a blue-furred tiara wearing space vixen, a big-breasted Sergal and an…Arcturian…at the same time."

Kensuke felt himself up slightly and involuntarily upon hearing that, "Oh…?"

Toji's eyes widened and his eager smile split wider into a grin, "Really?"

**Oh man…here we go!**

**Hey, wait…blue space vixen…?**

Shinji narrowed his eyes and deadpanned, "_No_."

**Uh?**

He got up.

"There's only one person in the whole universe I'm waiting to give _myself_ to."

Toji groaned, realising that Shinji had been playing with him.

**What the fuck's a **_**Arcturian**_**, and a **_**Sergal**_**, anyway?**

"Uh…who is it?"

"My _mate_," Shinji replied. "Once she _accepts_ me. First warning…"

He frowned.

"Don't ever ask me if I ever _fucked_ anyone before mateship ever again. That's _not_ me."

Toji and Kensuke leaned back away from him, having heard him swore in Japanese for the first time. Shinji then stormed off, sickened by Toji's question, lugging his heavy-looking backpack behind him. Toji realised he went too far and slapped his forehead.

**I'm a sick asshole…**

"Wow, really Toji?" Kensuke asked, narrowing his eyes at the jock.

Toji glared back and replied menacingly, "So says the otaku fan-boy who was checkin' out his pecs in the showers after gym class about a week ago…"

"It was JUST his pecs, honest!" Kensuke exclaimed, embarrassed. "Seriously…how'd he get them?"

**Hey...'once she accepts me?'**

**Does he already have a girlfriend or somethin'?**

"Hey, I just noticed Shinj's carrying a different backpack today," Kensuke noted out loud.

"So? Probably don't mean nothin'."

(SSJNYH)

When school let out, Shinji was sitting on a bench not far from the tram station that led to NERV…and he was still holding his now empty can of orange soda. He was also feeling bad-tempered…

**Fucking gutter-minded pyode amedha tetch'na piece of c'jit…**

He crushed the can in his hand, that is: COMPLETELY crush it just enough for the metal of the can to almost cut into his flesh, and tossed the mangled can into the nearest bin.

**That's not me…that is **_**NOT**_** me**_**…**_**I'm NOT like Nam! I'm not like Mal…**

He froze when he almost reflected upon that _other_ name, the Bad Blood that had name that had a definite mental, emotion and spiritual hold on him. He closed his eyes, doubled over and gripped both sides of his head and shuddered, terrible memories he would never forget. Shinji then growled and looked at his watch and saw that he was at least ten minutes early before he was expected to report to HQ.

**I can't put it off any longer…**

He got up and walked away from the transit station, carrying his slightly heavy school bag behind him…

(SSJNYH)

…and returned another ten minutes later, his bag feeling slightly lighter, just as Rei was approaching the station. Shinji's eyes lit up when he saw her, but he immediately turned his face away as he remembered what happened yesterday in her apartment. He blushed lightly, remembering her naked…

He growled and mentally disciplined himself…

**Don't go **_**there**_**, Curved Blade!**

He then walked ahead and caught up to her. She turned her head to see him.

"Kasumi," she acknowledged.

Shinji's eyes widened…

**She acts like she doesn't remember me staring at her in the suit she was born with.**

"Ayanami."

(SSJNYH)

The pilots were silent as they rode the tram down into the GeoFront and towards NERV HQ. While Shinji was occasionally taking sideward glances of the blue-haired mystery girl, Rei was just sitting there reading. Shinji then decided to stare at her for a bit, seeing if she would notice him.

**Look at me…**

She did, and looked up from her book to stare back at him. Shinji smiled lightly, however her expression didn't change. Rei then went back to reading her book, wiping the smile off Shinji's face.

Five minutes later in the GeoFront they were walking down the path towards the Pyramid that was NERV HQ, Shinji trailing some distance behind Rei.

**This is getting tense…**

"Evangelion Unit Zero is being reactivated today,"Shinji said out loud. "Captain Katsuragi reminded me."

"She would be correct, Pilot Kasumi."

"You're not afraid of getting back into it?" Shinji asked as walked faster to catch up to her.

"Why would I be?" Rei stated. "Are you afraid of Unit One?"

"No," Shinji replied, eyes narrowed. "I'm not afraid of a weapon."

"Yet you do not treat it as such."

Shinji stopped walking and stood there, taken back.

"Huh?"

Rei paused and turned to face him, her expression unchanged. The Predator narrowed his eyes in thought as they stared at each…

**Her expression…it never changes **_**at all.**_

"I have watched you sortie against the Angels. You and the EVA fight as one," Rei explained. "A weapon is something you do not open your heart to."

She paused when she saw that Shinji was looking at her oddly. He was attentive, sure, but also perplex.

**What? **

"My…heart?"

He then rubbed his hand against his forehead.

"I don't see any difference," Shinji said. "If I 'open my heart' to my sword it does not become any sharper or duller. Until I grip it with both hands, it's doesn't do anything useful. Same way the EVA just stands there doing nothing until I get climb into it."

He looked intense as he continued.

"EVA serves _me_. _I_ wield it to fight the Paya Amedha. As far as I know, EVA exists _only_ to destroy; and that's something _I_ can deal with…and use."

Once again Rei stopped walking and turned her head to see him.

"It is _those_ thoughts that enable you to move the EVA," Rei said. "Your thoughts are dominated by your wish to kill Commander Ikari that allow you to synch with the EVA. You think of killing the Commander…"

She then walked towards him.

"…and yet you pilot EVA _for_ him."

**WHAT?**

Shinji stopped himself from exploding at that statement, only going as far as scowling, "My reason for even returning to Earth _that_ obvious?"

"Your attempted murder of him _is_ obvious," Rei simply replied.

"I pilot for _myself_," Shinji voice was steadily becoming more aggressive. "For the Hunt. For my standing in the Clan…"

"Is that all?" Rei said, standing before him.

Shinji's eyebrows raised and he stopped scowling. Suddenly images of Gaun, Mana, Merl'we, Nam, Misato, Hikari, Toji (yeah, even _him_) and Kensuke flashed through his mind. His eyes softened when he thought about…

**Mother.**

**Misato.**

He looked determined again as he gave his answer.

"And for those that depend on me."

"Why is that you have decided to make them _depend on you_?" Rei then pressed him. "You take charge of them?"

"_Through inaction those that are not prey are killed equals dishonour_ _within the Clan_," Shinji responded, quoting the Elder. "I fight the Paya Amedha and at the same I have to make sure no one else gets caught in the middle."

"It is your father's work that enables you to fight to retain that honour," Rei stated. "You should have faith…"

"I have _no_ faith in him at all!" Shinji interrupted her as he became angry. "I _will_ kill him. Why do you…?"

If Shinji hadn't been riled up by Rei's incessant questioning of his reasons for fighting the Angels and that it still suits Gendo's he would have allowed Rei's hand to make contact against his face in a slap. But aggressive as he is now, he raised his left hand to block Rei as she tried to slap him across the face, her facial expression finally changed to that of a frown.

Shinji's eyes widened, seeing her like this taking him off guard. He then frowned back.

"Don't. Do. _That_." Shinji warned her, with emphasis on each word delivered with utter seriousness.

She immediately stopped frowning and composed herself, once again looking emotionless. He tightened her hold on her hand, squeezing it, seeing if Rei would react. She didn't.

**Why?**

"_Why_ do you have faith in _him_?" Shinji asked, calmly now.

He felt her trying to lower her hand away from him and let go, letting it hang by her side.

"I have faith in _him_," Rei just said.

She turned and walked away.

"That didn't answer my question."

"I do not mean to answer," Rei replied. "The only thing in the world I have faith in is the Commander."

Shinji watched her go. He stood for a while, his frown finally disappearing.

**The more I try to figure her out, I end up knowing **_**less**_** about her.**

**Why? What has **_**he**_** done to earn her faith?**

(SSJNYH)

_Commencing EVA Unit Zero Reactivation Test…_

In her familiar white plugsuit, Rei sat back in her seat within the plug, gripping the reins as she waited for the first phase of the test to commence. She could see the observation area where Dr. Akagi, Commander Ikari and Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki were watching her, or more accurately, watching EVA-00 as it stood in the centre of the test chamber.

**Pilot Kasumi and Captain Katsuragi are not in Observation.**

_Are you ready, Rei?_ Gendo asked her over the com.

Rei was silent briefly, before responding, "Yes, sir."

_Initiate primary contact, _Ritsuko ordered Maya, stationed at her terminal.

Rei just sat back in her seat as the test went underway, for once _not_ paying attention to what was said over the com. Instead she was lost in her own thoughts…

'**I pilot for **_**myself**_**. **_**For**_** the **_**Hunt**_**, for my **_**standing**_** in the **_**Clan**_**, and **_**for those that depend on me**_**.'**

**Kasumi says those things, and he knows he is **_**still**_** piloting for Commander Ikari, no matter what his own reasons for piloting are. '**_**Those that depend on him?'**_** What is his logic behind taking charge of people, those '**_**that depend on him**_**?' His reasons cannot be as altruistic as he makes himself appear to be. **

**He could have refused to pilot EVA-01 any further after his first battle against the Angels, therefore not putting himself under the Commander's authority through Captain Katsuragi. He could have left this planet along with the rest of his…people. However he **_**did**_** return; but is it by choice? Or by order of his masters?**

**Pilot Kasumi is…difficult to understand.**

(SSJNYH)

**Ayanami…**

One person was on Shinji Curved Blade's mind as he tore his school uniform off and discarded his blue jeans, changing instead into his black plugsuit. As his suit compressed and hugged itself to his body he stared down at his school uniform. He frowned…

**For some reason I don't like wearing **_**that**_**.**

He then stepped out of the change room to find a surprised Misato waiting for him.

"Shinji?"

"Misato."

"Why're are you in your plugsuit?"

Shinji shrugged as he stepped into the hallway, "Besides being prepared?"

"Er…yeah?"

"I _hate_ wearing white."

Misato stared at Shinji, confused. Shinji sighed as they walked.

"I make a comment and you look at me like it's not something I'd say," Shinji pointed.

"Well…err…" Misato rolled her eyes as she tried to answer him. "You're pretty blunt at times, Shin-chan."

"Which is better than being what oomans would call a 'whiny bitch', right?" Shinji responded.

Misato smirked, "Definitely. But…"

She sighed and looked over at him

"…at your age…"

"You're having me pilot Evangelion and saving the world, right?" Shinji countered. "And before that I was killing Amedha. And with the Mark of the Hunter…"

He pointed at his neck.

"I'm no longer an Unblood pup," Shinji said. "I'm an adult Hunter…"

Misato smirked, "That would explain a _few_ things…"

Shinji blushed, "Y-yeah…"

She was serious when she then pointed out, "By Earth standards, however, you're _still_ a kid."

The 'kid' then smiled, "And yet you didn't want to be _alone_ the other night, right?"

Now it was Misato's turn to blush. They were standing outside the door leading into the test chambers. Shinji sighed loudly, crossing his arms and rubbed them uncomfortably, growling lightly.

"_He's_ in there, isn't he?"

Misato cringed, 'Oh shit, I forgot.'

She then said, "Y-yeah…"

The Head of Operation then turned to Shinji, now deadly serious…

"You're going to have to face him and realise you can't just go up to him and try and kill him. Because if you try to, I'll be forced to stop you."

"I won't give you any reason to," Shinji replied dangerously, though not directed towards her.

(SSJNYH)

Out through his tinted glass near the corner of his eyes Gendo saw Shinji accompanied by Misato step into Observation. He felt the scar on the side of his face throb painfully and the heart stop beating for a second as he felt something he seldom felt for many years – uncertainty.

Everyone suddenly became quiet they realised father and son were in the same room. Kozo turned his head and nodded towards Misato, as if in understanding of her bringing Shinji here. Ritsuko, however, briefly glared daggers at Shinji, before redirecting them at Misato. Misato frowned back.

"…you were saying, Lieutenant Ibuki?" Gendo quickly broke the silence.

Having looked over her shoulder at Shinji stepping into Observation and silently stewing in fear of him lashing at Gendo and hurting, or possibly, killing everyone in his path, his black plugsuit covering his slightly muscular frame making him all the more intimidating; Maya then turned back to her console and snakingly declared…

"Err…Pulse and Harmonics normal. Synch is green."

As Maya rounded off the checklist once it was confirmed that EVA-00 had been activated and thus passed the test, father and son made no attempts at eye contact as they both stared at EVA-00 through the window, Shinji grimacing as he fought with every fibre of his being not to rush Gendo and rip his head off. He glared and was about to turn his head to face Gendo when he felt Misato's hand on his shoulder and he turned to face her instead.

'It's okay,' Misato mouthed at him.

Shinji nodded and just continued staring at EVA-00, focusing on the sounds of computers, machinery and Maya's voice as further distraction away from the man he despised, but slowly realising that he couldn't just kill him…yet.

Gendo realised Misato was having her intended effect on Shinji.

**She must be. I'm still alive.**

He inwardly smiled. He no longer felt _uncertain_.

(SSJNYH)

**Kasumi is standing in Observation now, and is not lashing out at the Commander.**

**Curious.**

(SSJNYH)

Kozo put the phone receiver down and acknowledged Shinji dressed in his plugsuit ahead of time…

**Either he somehow knew it was coming, or he is just being prepared. **_**Either **_**way, in spite of everything else it's another good quality the Yautja has cultivated in him.**

"An unidentified flying object is heading our way," Kozo explained. "The Fifth Angel is here."

Gendo bowed his head, drawing a hushed response.

"Abort the test. Level One Yellow Alert. Scramble EVA-01 for intercept."

"We can have it up in about 380 seconds," Ritsuko said. "Provided…"

She turned to Shinji and Misato and frowned.

"…we have no objections. Right?"

Shinji crossed his arms and forced himself to turn towards Ritsuko, Kozo and Gendo, "None."

He then glared, causing Ritsuko to stop frowning. The faux blonde then realised he was glaring _at_ Gendo.

"Do you?" Shinji asked.

"None," Gendo replied coolly.

Shinji snorted, as if he had confirmed _something_ to himself. Kozo rolled his eyes between Gendo and Shinji and sighed out of his nose.

**Of course Gendo wouldn't.**

**You would never forgive him, Yui.**

He then looked at Shinji, sadly.

**Or yourself, over what Shinji has become.**

(SSJNYH)

_The target is now above Lake Ashino…_

Shinji couldn't help but blink, then rub his eyes, to make sure what he was seeing wasn't a trick. The Fifth Angel, verified as Ramiel the Angel of Thunder, was a neon-coloured octahedron that reminded him of an alien craft he and his Clan had once passed by. However he stopped himself from reminiscing about old memories as he put himself into concentration mode.

_Well that something you don't see every day, _Misato quipped over the com. _Shinji?_

"A flying three-dimensional shape poised to exterminate humanity?" Shinji drawled. "Sure."

He cracked his knuckles, then gripped EVA-01's reins.

**That force that shielded EVA-01 during the sortie against the Third. I only thought about protecting myself and BAM, there it was between me and that hac'knit Paya Amedha.**

**Wonder if I can do it again? Time to find out**

_Where'd that come from?_ Misato asked him, incredulously.

Shinji smirked, "Just saying how it is."

_EVA-01 Ready for Launch!_

Shinji then felt the familiar G-Forces as he ascended to the surface…

(SSJNYH)

The octahedron known as Ramiel hovered above the city. It noticed one of the Evangelion Deployment/Retrieval sites open it's blast doors and in turn it took action…

_**Curved Blade!**_

_**Scarred One!**_

**Child of**_** Those That Make Trophies Out Of Mortals!**_

_**Joutei no Yokai Hoshi! **_

...charging up…

(SSJNYH)

"High energy reading within target!" Shigeru shouted out loud. "It's pointed straight at EVA-01's deployment site!"

Misato and Ritsuko froze, guessing what it could be.

"THAT'S A PARTICLE BEAM!" Misato shouted. "SHINJI…!"

_YEAH, I KNOW!_

(SSJNYH)

Shinji had being entirely focused on Ramiel as he and EVA-01 ascended to the surface. The flying octahedron fired it's proton particle beam from it's bow which instantly melted through the skyscraper in front of EVA-01. Shinji quickly imagined himself surrounded by the AT Field and EVA-01 complied, bringing it up and shielding himself from the blast.

He then tried to move, on to realise…

**Oh c'jit!**

…that despite his reflexes the clamps holding the EVA in place were still keeping him still.

"THE CLAMPS! LET ME GO!" Shinji shouted.

_I-I'm trying, _Maya cried over the com. _System freeze!_

_What the hell? _Misato cried. _Shinji!_

"W-what?" Shinji sounded dumbfounded.

Even with his newfound understanding of his AT Field he was still a sitting duck. And the reality of it became painful as hell when the Angel's particle beam shattered his AT Field and struck him in the chest. EVA-01's frontal chest plating begun to melt, and Shinji's own chest felt like he was being run through with a flaming sword.

"ARGGHHHHHHHH!"

_SHINJI!_

EVA-01 instinctively tore it's left arm from one of the clamps and tried to block the beam with it's hand.

"GAKKKKK KOFF KOFF…!"

**Ikari, ell-osde c'jit!**

Shinji wrapped his arms around his chest and coughed blood, feeling his left hand begun to feel like it was melting as well.

"M-Misato…" Shinji whimpered before passing out.

_SHINJI! GODDAMMIT! RECALL EVA-01 __**NOW**__!_

**Ikari, You SHIT!**

(SSJNYH)

Amidst everyone scrambling within Central Dogma Rei watched the screen as EVA-01 descended back into the GeoFront. She then turned to one of the smaller screens of Shinji lying unconscious in the Entry plug.

She appeared…curious.

**It seems he…**_**tried**_** to secure a different outcome to this sortie, yet it was **_**other**_** forces that prevented him from doing so.**

She then saw Misato continuing to bark out orders, and thought she saw tears pooling in the corners of her eyes when she turned to the screen of an unconscious Shinji, before running out of Central Dogma, presumably towards the EVA Cages.

**His last word is Captain Katsuragi's given name.**

**What can be made of **_**that**_**?**

* * *

_Latest chapter done and dusted...however it's on a depressing note with Shinji and Rei nowhere close to understanding one another…yet; and Shinji on the road to discovering the purpose of the AT Field. Next chapter, back to the flashbacks: Shinji and Gaun's first encounter with Mana Dagger Strike – the self-proclaimed __**Ooman of Steel**__…and Shinji's first sortie against the Arcturians – what I'm basing them off will come from H.R. Giger's portfolio of horrors._

_With Dutch saying "Have fun" to Curved Blade, that was a reference to his cameo in The Rundown (or Welcome to the Jungle) when he figuratively passes the mantle to Dwayne Johnson as the next action star after him. In this case, however, it's him acknowledging Shinji as the main character in a fan fic involving Predators._

_About Shinji, Toji and Kensuke discussing his (for now non-existent) sex life and him berating himself afterwards; that was essentially what Shinji Curved Blade thinks about the (AHEM) __seedier__ aspects of the fandom surrounding him._

_**I**__ refuse to treat him __**that**__ way, or to let him treat women __**that**__ way. He has morals, and he sticks by them._

_Speaking of Curved Blade and how I've developed him so far, I just realised he reminds me of how __**Ellen Ripley**__ (or at least how her Clone) is portrayed in Alien: Resurrection – you know with the whole human/alien hybrid thing and the badassery she had going compared to how she was portrayed in the previous films._

_I'm thinking of doing either an __**Armored Core**__, __**Fist of the North Star**__ or a __**JoJo's Bizarre Adventure**__ fic sometime soon; what they're each being crossed over with is a secret for now (feel free to guess, the end result if and when it comes WILL surprise you)._


	21. Chapter 20: Ooman of Steel

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_Sorry I'm late…getting over writer's block, changes at work, paying bills, dodging the blue screen of death and figuring out how to work with FF Dot Net enforcing the Rating System is tiring work, heh._

_To SeanHicks4: It won't take __**that**__ long, I assure you. I'm going by the manga's order of events…until the massive break from canon I'm planning…_

_21 Chapters, 187 Reviews, 146 Favourites and 145 Follows. Thanks for keeping this story going…_

_And yes, this is __**another**__ Flashback chapter. I think I've hit upon a good thing with changing Shinji into the anti-hero he is in this fic and how he came to be that way deserves a thorough explanation. There are two more Flashback chapters in the story after this one (the last one explaining his unease with becoming close to someone), and after that it's present day bloodletting all the way…_

* * *

"GAUN-THWEI! **GAUN-**_**THWEIIIIIIIIIII**_!"

In the distance the Young Blood Nam saw two figures, one of whom was kneeling on the ground, his back turned. Nam was running through the desert rain towards the two figures, heart threatening to give out in his chest, having sprinted from the settlement towards the outskirts. As if the sky had decided to match the turmoil that was in the air it was raining in torrents, one of only three times it rained on this side of the planet.

"ELDER! GAUN-THWEI!"

He reached them in time just as Gaun-Thwei, the tall dark skinned Young Blood and survivor of a hundred violations at the hands of the Bad Bloods, plunged the human Japanese dirk into the gut. Nam's mouth opened, and a first nothing came out except for a shocked gasped.

He then screamed…

"**NOOOOO!"**

…and before he could come to his aid, the elderly nine-foot tall, pale, lime-coloured black speckled Elder stepped forward and held him back with his left hand. His right arm cradled a newborn Yautja pup, despite Nam's scream, her father's grunts of pain and the sound of heavy rain pattering on the rocky ground, she was sleeping peacefully.

"Elder!" Nam exclaimed. "STOP HIM! HELP ME SAVE HIM!"

"No," the Elder said. "I permit him to decide his fate."

Before Nam could protest or even rush to his friend and clan-brother's aid, the Elder produced a katana still in it's scabbard and thrust it towards Nam.

"Help him keep his honour the way he wants to."

Nam eyes quivered as he remembered how the Samurai, the ooman warriors Gaun-Thwei's family admired so much, ended their lives when faced with dishonour. Now realising that his fellow Young Blood was beyond all aid, and not wanting of it, as he slowly disembowelled himself as he drew his dirk across his gut. Nam drew the katana from the Elder and approached Gaun-Thwei.

Enraged and distressed behind measure, Nam thought, 'All because a female overpowered him!'

He briefly glanced over at the infant pup in the Elder's eyes, the result of the trauma Gaun-Thwei suffered. Nam heard Gaun-Thwei stifled a cry of agony as he dipped his head for what was to follow, and with tears pooling in the corners of his eyes Nam roared and brought the katana down and severed Gaun-Thwei's head from his neck, green blood spurting out; but not like a geyser as Nam always imagined what would happen if one was to lose his head.

Nam bowed his head in respect for the one he called his brother. He then glared the pup's way, and then swore vengeance against it's _bearer_.

And _towards_ the High Elder for letting this happen. He now knew the reason why he was called the_ Mad _Elder.

(SSJNYH)

Chapter 20 – Ooman of Steel (Year 4, Age 10)

(SSJNYH)

**For once I'm glad I've lost conscious. It felt like the LCL was burning me alive.**

**They say before you die your life flashes before your eyes…and I thank whatever nice god exists that it didn't happen to me as I lie floating unconscious in that blood-smelling muck in the entry plug. I don't think I ever want to relive my life after leaving Earth…**

…**despite finding myself amongst Yautja I have come to love – Mother, Merl'we, Nam, Mana…**

**Mana…the first ooman I saw in four years, and someone I can my best friend. I was ten when I first met her…just when I was starting to see how such beauty can exist in a universe as ugly as this…**

**Ugliness…when it comes to the Arcturians, and them hanging around a place ripped from darkness itself…**

(SSJNYH)

En-route towards a grey planetoid with atmosphere the colour of ooman blood the sharp-looking Yautja Huntship slowly cruised across the blackness, without any sense of urgency. Those on board prepped themselves for their upcoming hunt; amongst them a dozen Unbloods, their first time off the homeworld and towards a designated hunting world.

Ten year old Shinji Curved Blade was amongst those Unbloods. He had changed a lot since last year when he had earned his name and his current status his Unblood, at the cost of at least one other Yautja pup's life. His muscles had begun to develop once again to coincide with his latest growth spurt, his abominable and pec almost clearly seen. His strength was equal to a grown ooman male's and at the moment he can physically match a Yautja pup his own age.

He was clad in a black loincloth, light steel shoulder and knee plating. Right now he was sitting cross legged on his bottom bunk bed in the room he shared with his 'mother' Gaun, the Huntress in question getting dressed into her light body armour while her 'pup' was busy fiddling with his wrist comp, eyes and attention focused on the 3D display being broadcasted , giving Gaun a semblance of privacy.

Pulling up her steel-lined loincloth, Gaun glimpsed over at Shinji and the way he played with his still new wrist-computer technology. She blinked suddenly, when the sight reminded her of…

"_Mother?"_

"_Yes, Straight Blade?"_

"_Will you always remember me?"_

"_Why do you ask?"_

"_In case I ever…disappear…for some reason or something, will you remember me if I'm gone?"_

"_It would be difficult for me to ever forget __**you**__, pup._

Her eyelids dimmed in sadness, remembering _she_ had asked her that question shortly after she embraced Straight Blade as her daughter. She reflected on how last year she accepted that Shinji, real name Curved Blade, was the son she would _never_ have. And she felt guilty, believing that he was a replacement for the first Huntress she trained before Merl'we, the first person she opened her heart to, and whom was cruelly taken from her almost right away after she asked Gaun if she would always remember her.

**I do.**

"Mother?"

She looked at Shinji, the ooman Unblood looking back with concern.

"Are you alright, yau-th?"

Gaun nodded, "I am."

She inwardly sighed. Curved Blade wasn't a replacement. She _**had**_ a daughter, she _**still**_ has a son.

**At least I think I will be alright.**

(SSJNYH)

The Unbloods all sat cross-legged on the steel floor, looking attentively at the hologram-projector built into the centre of the conference chamber. The Blooded stood behind them along the wall, their attention divided between the slightly fidgety pups and the Hunter Nam, who stepped up to the front and stood before the holo-projector. With a scowl he snorted as his eyes went over the thirty or so Unbloods sitting before him, noting that Shinji was sitting at the back right at Gaun's feet.

"Tell me," Nam crossed his arms and barked. "It has been a years since you all became Unbloods. Tell me what each of you has accomplished."

He pointed at one of the pups sitting in the middle, indicating for him to stand up. The Unblood's mandibles clicked before he stated proudly, "My sire has taught me how to wield the spear…"

Nam snorted, "EVERY pup learns how to use the spear before they earn their names! Did your sire hold out on you, thinking you wouldn't survive your Unblood Chiva and end up being a waste of time?"

The pup practically had the wind knocked out of sail, causing him to whimper and sit back down. Name rolled his eyes.

"I'll save us all some time and say that each of your greatest accomplishment as an Unblood is to be invited to partake in this hunting excursion," Nam said. "Each of you little c'jits will experience first-hand what it's like to see, and maybe even, taste the death of the prey up close!"

He then turned to the project and waved an arm over it. It clicked and activated, generating an image that reached the ceiling, once again pulled from the nightmares of a most corrupted mind.

Shinji felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw a thin, dark green, rubbery-lookking, biomechanical, naked female humanoid with sharp looking elbow and knees. It's head and face were the stuff of definite nightmares, appearance resembling a human but instead of where it's eye sockets should be it was spherical glands; it's eyes instead at the far edges of it's face, three on each side and each the colour of the black. Tendrils appearing out ot it's head that reached it's waist. Shinji swallowed gently.

**Ugly…**

(SSJNYH)

"The place we are going is a derelict city, currently under the management of the Arcturians," Nam continued. "And this…image…is what the tetch'na really do look like. And you've all heard the rumours about the supposedly dreaded Arcturians, but allow me to say…they are ALL true."

Nam couldn't help but enjoy the looks on each of the Unbloods faces. What was said of the Arcturians was that they were slavers and flesh-dealers, perverts and killers, more animal then sentient being and not deserving of quarter, to be killed on sight.

Shinji watched attentively, and would have written it all down if he could.

"Each of you will accompany an experienced Blooded. You will observe how they stalk and kill their prey and how they will make a trophy out of the corpse," Nam explained. "If you're interested in returning home alive you will do _everything_ your Blooded tells you to do. If you should be separated and a captured by one of these…beasts…"

He then shuddered, unsettling the Unbloods.

"Well, you may want to take your own life."

He looked over towards Gaun and Shinji. He frowned…

**But not in the same way Gaun-Thwei killed himself.**

"Take heed of the debaucheries the Arcturian Paya Amedha inflict upon themselves and those unfortunate to be ensnared by them," Nam stated. "It'll motivate you even more to know that even if you do manage to take your own life before they can have their way with you, they won't hesitate to make do with what's left of your corpses!"

Some of the Unbloods clenched their mandibles together in a cringe. Shinji, however, looked all the more determined. Name noted that.

**He will **_**definitely**_** survive this. I know it. I didn't let myself get abused by two attractive Huntresses while training the little tetch'na to see him get killed now!**

(SSJNYH)

Afterwards the Unblood were given last-minute preparation without the Blooded hunters present. Shinji sat on bench far from the other Unbloods, checking his wrist-comp. He then extended his wrist blade…

SHIIINNGGG!

…eyes widened at how sudden they popped out in the blink of an eye and how sharp they looked.

"Careful not to cut yourself on that, ooman."

Little Curved Blade looked up to see Kur approach him, another two Unblood flanking him. He was smirking down at him, knowing Shinji wouldn't dare tackle him and pummel him in the face again like before he earned his name; not unless he wanted to get beaten up instead by his lackeys.

"Kur," Shinji acknowledged him, before looking away from and concentrating on his wrist.

The taller Unblood growled, thrusting his hand forward and grabbing him by the throat and pushing him against the wall, "DON'T LOOK AWAY ME FROM LIKE _THAT_!"

The other Unbloods dropped what they were doing and saw the conflict brewing between the ooman and oldest pup amongst them.

"Or what?"

WHINNGGGGG!

Kur then felt the wrist blade pressed against his wrist, threatening to nick the artery underneath it. He felt himself freeze when the ooman spoke again.

"Why can't you leave me alone?" Shinji frowned, right hand gripping the hand around his neck.

"Because _he_ died because of you!" Kur growled.

"Who?"

"He doesn't _have_ a name!" Kur exclaimed. "You denied him that."

Shinji's eyes widened, Kur let go of him and he slid down against the wall, depression overtaking as he remembered fishing that mutilated pup's body out of the creek; the one killed by his bearer for his failure during the Unblood Chiva. Kur smirked again, believing he had won over the supposedly weak willed ooman, but he faded when Shinji suddenly glared up at him.

"Do you want to join him then if you miss him so much?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, do you?"

All eyes turned to see Merl'we at the door into the prep chamber, arms crossed and glaring down at the Unblooded pups. Kur glanced between Shinji and Merl'we, then snorted and backed off, his lackeys following close behind. Shinji shook his head and got back up, blade still extended.

"I didn't ask for your help," Shinji grunted, massaging his neck with his right hand.

Merl'we frowned, "I didn't come here for _that_. I came to make sure your little asses are ready for a taste of Arcturian blood."

(SSJNYH)

**They say it's unfair to judge an entire species based on the actions of a few. In the Arcturians' case, however, I think those **_**few**_** demonstrate what the **_**entire**_** species really are capable of. I don't know if the…things they did…were hardwired into their minds and they couldn't control themselves, or if they just didn't give a damn...**

**The universe is an ugly place…**

(SSJNYH)

The planetoid designated RVA-214, was a cold, desolate, depressing rock despite it's blood red atmosphere. The abandoned, ancient city the Huntship landed outside was nothing but the colour black, suiting it's biomechanical décor. It's buildings were a combination of spirals, curves and waves, each looking like bones were used as building material; as if a certain ooman artist who specialised in recreating his worst nightmares was the architect.

Right now Shinji and Gaun, the two of them cloaked, were climbing up the side of one of these tall buildings, before leaping off the side and landing on a crumbling balcony. Shinji opened his eyes and gazed over the city from this vantage point, glad he had gotten over heights years ago.

"Are we going to be hunting, Mother?" Shinji asked.

Gaun grunted, "Not this time, Curved Blade."

"Huh?"

"We shall be _observing_ the Arcturians," Gaun replied. "And you can tell me what you think of them."

Gaun then pointed downward at what appeared to be column marching down the elevated road below them. Shinji followed her finger, his bio-mask zooming in what appeared to be twenty Arcturians armed with spikey-looking black rifles wearing armour that composed of triangles stuck together. They were marching in a rectangle and between them…

Shinji suppressed a gasp…

**Wha…?**

…when he saw twice the Arcturians number in unarmed alien civilians, children among them. Each of them were battered, clad in rags and wearing steel collars around their necks. He saw one mother carrying child fall over, then promptly receiving a rifle butt to the face and her child thrown over the side of the road into the pit below. Shinji gritted his teeth and deactivated the zoom feature of his mask; promptly feeling Gaun's hand on his shoulder, and not in a gently manner.

"W-why?" Shinji croaked, blinking the tears in his eyes.

Gaun growled, not at him though, "Because they _can_."

"We're just going to _let_ them?" Shinji demanded, getting angry now.

"Look again and tell _me_."

Shinji complied, and gritted his teeth when he saw a reddish-brown haired ooman girl his age amongst the small sea of oomans. He zoomed back out and tore his mask off, allowing Gaun to see the look of pure, unadulterated anger on his face.

"Yes!"

(SSJNYH)

**Save me…**

The collar still chaffing her neck hours after it had been put on her, the little red-haired girl in rags were marched down the street, the only ooman amongst the slaves claimed by these Arcturian pirates. She didn't know where these beasts has brought her here to this dead planet and, for the moment, she didn't care; wanting to be far away from here if possible, but even then she would not know what to do with herself.

**Please…**

Her, Mana Kirishima…a designated slave-breeder of the Zaibutsu, their kanji on her thigh and her masters no doubt thousands of light years away. Her, originally destined to give birth to a high-ranking warrior's child once she came of age, now through a twist of fate was abducted by a passing Arcturian pirate starship and ferried here to the dead planet RVA-214 to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

**Someone…**

The highest bidder no doubt being another Arcturian – the absolutely WORSE scum in the universe if the rumours were anything to go by. She closed her eyes tightly, and shed a tear.

**Save me…**

She didn't want her life to end like this. After today her body would still be alive, but her soul would be dead.

**Please…**

"EYES FORWARD, BREEDER!"

She felt a stinging backhand to her face, causing her to open her eyes, her visage filled with a snarling Arcturian slaver. She stopped herself from falling over, not wanting to incur any more of her master's wrath.

"_G-gomen nasai…"_

"What was that?"

The Arcturian grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look into his ugly face.

"What did you say, ooman?" the Arcturian demanded.

Mana changed her dialect, "I said: 'forgive me.'"

"Why you…!"

Suddenly all the Arcturians were on alert, as if they had detected someone. And somewhere far off, Shinji, cloaked, gritted his teeth behind his mask as he and Gaun, also cloaked, scaled down the side of the building towards the same level as the elevated road.

"They didn't hear us, Curved Blade," Gaun pointed out. "Something _else_ has spooked them."

Shinji leapt off the side of the building and landed on a balcony below, Gaun followed suit. Shinji growled when he saw the Arcturian beside the girl grab her by the arm. He reached into his satchel, fondling a pair of steel balls.

He then pressed his fingers into each of them, eliciting a beep from each of them. He snarled when the Arcturian squeezed the girl arms painfully, causing her to cry out. His mask HUD then triangular-targeted the Arcuturian, then pulled the metallic balls out and hurled them towards the road, the balls mechanically whirring and homing in on the Arcuturian.

The Arcuturian thought her heard a whirring sound, then looked up briefly to see the two small metallic balls that would rob him partially of his sight as they embedded themselves into both of his upper eyes…

"RAARGHHHHHARGLLLE!"

…the balls then released smoke that engulfed the prisoners, the Arcturian slavers, and the entire road. Mana covered her mouth and closed her eyes as the smoke surrounded her. She then gritted her teeth when she felt the Arcturian's pained hold on her arm grip tighter.

Until…

SLIT!

"ARGGHHH!"

Mana felt the slaver let go of her to reach for his left torn Achilles Heel, sliced by Shinji who had leapt onto the road, made his way through the smoke past the slavers and the other prisoners. Now the boy Predator grabbed Mana by the wrist…

"Come…"

…speaking in awkward sounding Japanese, catching Mana by surprise by whom complied. She allowed herself to be led, her eyes closed and left arm covering her mouth as she coughed into it, surprised she wasn't bumping into any one of the other prisoners or slavers. The voice then told her…

"JUMP!"

…and they did so off the elevated road, out of the smoke cloud and down a couple of metres before landing on another road below them, rolling forward across the steel. They both grunted with exertion.

"Open eyes!"

Mana did so just as she felt get pushed against the barrier edge of the road they were now on, presumably to hide from the Arcturians as the smoke screen above them begun to dissipate. She rubbed her eyes, before they were blessed to see her rescuer. A slightly taller human boy her age but wearing Yautja gear, including the mask.

**Oh, my…**

Her eyes widened, "You're…?"

"Shinji," the boy told her, his Japanese almost heard to understand. "Name Shinji."

Much to his surprised she switched to speaking Yautja when she replied, "Shinji-san…"

Besides being surprised that she can speak Yautja, he was relieved he didn't have to speak the ooman language he had slowly forgotten.

"My name's Mana Kirishima," she introduced herself. She then smiled warmly, "And that was a brave thing you did."

Shinji blushed, then hesitantly grinned, closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his head in an awkward, embarrassed manner.

"Well…I…"

"Curved Blade."

Both head turned sideways to see a squatting Gaun materialise beside them.

"I'm…mildly impressed."

Shinji looked fearful when he stammered, "I-I couldn't have let them…"

"You didn't," Gaun replied. "Something, or someone, _else_ alerted the Arcuturians. Now…"

The three of them looked up to hear the Arcturians scrambling and cursing above them, the rest of the slaves crying out in obvious terror.

"They will be combing the entire city looking for all us Predators now," Gaun growled. "In a situation such as this, the expedition is called off and we regroup at the designated meeting place."

"I know," Shinji replied.

Gaun sighed, "We will have to split up…"

"Huh?" Mana gasped.

"What?" Shinji was also alarmed.

Gaun tapped the side of her mask, "The Arcturians will spot us easily if we travel as a group… "

"I _know_," Shinji hissed, the Arcturians angry screaming above them becoming more violent by the second, warranting caution from the young rookie Hunter. "But…"

Mana grabbed Shinji's hand and squeezed it, silencing him.

"I'll go with Shinji-san, Yautja-sama," Mana announced. "Where do we have to meet?"

(SSJNYH)

Gaun smiled behind her mask…

**She displays bravery, and resolve.**

"The building where all the pipes in this city lead to," Gaun explained. "Do you remember, Curved Blade?"

"Yes," Shinji nodded, then tapped his wrist-comp. "I got it marked down _here_."

"Let's depart, then," Gaun said. "Follow the pipes."

Holding Mana's hand tightly, Shinji led her and himself away from Gaun, hopping down towards another road, Gaun watching them go, cursing herself for not following them but knowing it would be safer for all of them, seeing that the Arcturian scum would spread themselves out and with the weapons and equipment they were packing they would easily cut down anyone their crosshair pointed at – even Yautja, even more than one together.

Gaun watched them run down the road and disappear behind the building, before cloaking and following a different route towards the clan meeting place, and making sure to keep them in eyeshot. All the while she thought of the little red haired girl Shinji had risked his life to rescue.

**Shinji may have found his future mate in this female.**

(SSJNYH)

**Me and Mana, two ten-year-old oomans who have never set foot on Earth for…four years for me, quite possibly NEVER in Mana's case, legging it through Nightmare City, it's twisted architecture reminding me of a civilisation lost, long before ooman or Yautja flew towards the stars. And Mother wasn't too far away, watching over both us…**

**I never bothered to ask her why she didn't stick with me and Mana as we tried to escape. I thought it was because she was testing me, and she wasn't too far away if I screwed up and the Arcturians were onto us. But looking back…**

…

**I…I think she was trying to make me and Mana bond.**

**We did. Just as I was about to fuck up…**

**Yeah, I just swore in JAPANESE, for all to understand. It was THAT bad of a fuck up: I drew the Arcturians attention…!**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji adjusted the vision mode of his mask to thermal, seeing through the wall he and Mana were currently hiding behind two heat signatures in the shape of Arcturians. He turned to Mana and pointed his thumb in their direction, then raised two fingers, indicating there were two of them. He then saw them begin to work away from where they had been standing guard, and Shinji indicated to Mana for them to run across the road, towards another pipeline and then follow it towards the clan meeting place.

**Here goes…**

Grabbing Mana's hand they darted across the street, their footsteps surprisingly soft against the metal street, and would have _quietly_ reached the pipes if Shinji had accidently across a piece of steel sticking out of said pipe and tearing a gash across his arm. Totally unprepared for that he…

"AH!"

**NO!**

…let out a cry of pain, causing him to cover his mouth with his hand. However his thermal vision displaying the two Arcuturians suddenly turning around, gripping their weapons and rushing towards their position.

"C'mon…"

"Shinji-san…ahh!"

Still hand in hand, they followed the pipes which led them towards alleyway a minute later, then they took a right and reached an empty courtyard…

"HERE!"

…then Shinji yanked Mana to the left and they took cover inside an abandoned two story structure. The interior hinted that it may be have a residence of some sort. They took cover in a corner near one of the windows, keeping out of sight as the two Arcturians passed by.

"Shinji-san…" Mana whispered.

"Shhh…" Shinji put a hand over her mouth, hushing her. Quiet…they'll hear us…"

"I think the breeders are in here!"

**Crap.**

The Arcturians then about faced and walked towards the house they were hiding in. Shinji inwardly cursed…

"C'jit!" he cursed out loud, but not loud enough to completely draw attention. "Stay here…"

Shinji gently pushed Mana into the corner next to the window.

_SHIINNGGGG!_

He then drew his tanto and disappeared into the back room. Mana could hear footstep going upward, indicating he was climbing up to the roof. Sure enough Shinji was standing on top of the house, looking downward at the two Arcturians about to breach the door leading into their hiding place.

"Check in here!"

Determination swept over him, culminating in leaping off the roof of the house and landing on the back of the Arcturian standing behind his friend and driving his tanto into his shoulder.

"AWWKKK!"

"What?" the other Arcturian cried. "OH SHIT…!"

"GET IT OFF ME!"

Shinji gritted his teeth and plunged the blade even deeper, before pulling it out, splattering blood which landed in the eyes of the other Arcuturian, causing him to blindly reach for his blade. Shinji snarled and leapt off the Arcturian he had just ran through and towards the other one, slashing him across the throat and splattering blood all over the house wall.

Both Arcturians collapsed onto the steel ground, their still twitching corpses already producing two small puddles of blood. Shinji landed on one knee, blade arm stretched outwards behind him and he was panting slightly, sweat trickling down both sides of his head. Mana peaked out the door and gasped, seeing him covered in the blood of the Arcturians that now laid dead outside the doorway.

'In-incredible!' she thought. 'He fought like the Elite of the Zaibutsu.'

The boy didn't share her sentiments…

**I…I killed someone…**

…as he stood there trembling, the knowledge that he had just killed two living beings for the first time coming down on him like a weight, causing him to breathe hard and stare blankly at the dead corpses, as if coming close to blacking out. Mana's eyes lit when she realised what was happening to him, immediately leaving the house and shook his right arm gently.

"Shinji-san?"

"Huh?"

He turned to her immediately, eyes widened. He then blinked, remembering where he and the ooman female was. He then shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose, then growled, his upper lip raising itself in a determined wolf-like snarl. Mana stepped away from him, eyes widened in awe.

"C'mon!" Shinji exclaimed, reaching for Mana's hand once she stepped out of the door. "We have to find Mother!"

They ran, leaving the house and corpses for the beasts.

(SSJNYH)

**I thought I would feel empty forever after taking my first set of lives. It only lasted a few seconds, Mana's touch sparing me possibly a lifetime of hating myself…and the Arcturians didn't deserve going wide-eyed over.**

**So we ran! For fifteen minutes we hid and dodged those freaks; following the pipes that stretched the length of the entire city, almost an army's worth of monsters looking for us, trying to reclaim their lost property: The little red-haired girl I had risked out expedition to save.**

**And just when I thought we were home free, fate decided that I pushed my luck…**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji laughed…

"HA! Hee…"

"Shinji-san?"

"We're here!"

He then breathed a loud sigh of relief when he saw the designated meeting place for all Hunters and their tagalongs: A bombed out high-rise structure were all the large, mile-spanning pipes ended up and out; giving the impression that one time it was an important building, a water treatment facility or something like that. Shinji didn't care, they were here, they were going home…

Then suddenly he thought something tie itself around his legs, binding them together, and he fell over forward onto the ground. Mana exclaimed, a pair of bolas having brought Shinji down, forcing him to drop his tanto. The Arcturian slaver responsible appeared out of the shadow from beneath one of the large pipes leading towards the structure, smirking.

"Well well…" the Arcturian hissed. "I founds playthings…"

Maya frantically turned left and right, trying to figure out…

**What do I do?**

She then saw Shinji's tanto on the ground and dove for it as the Arcturian growled and lunged for her. Mana grabbed it and slashed the Arcturian across the shoulder and rolled out of his way as he landed on the ground. The Arcturian snarled angrily as it got up, Mana already working on cutting Shinji free from the bolas. After feeling the bounds around his legs cut, Shinji extended his wrist blades and both children faced the taller Arcturian.

"Twos little oomans against one bigs me," the Arcturian mocked, drawing his sword, the hilt looking it had been carved from bone. "Cuts you in fours then I eats you!"

The Arcuturian roared and charged the two youngsters, swinging his side intending to slice through them running.

"RAAAARRGGGGGGGHHH!"

CLANG!

The Arcturian's blade was stopped by the combined strength of Mana and Shinji swinging blocking it with the tanto and wrist blade.

"YAAAAAH!"

The Arcturian gripped the hilt tighter as he tried to continue moving the sword towards the two oomans, becoming increasingly disturbed by the two of them glaring up at him menacingly. Shinji then snarled…

"_**SCCCCRRRYYYYY!"**_

…then threw the Arcturian off with a high-pitched war cry, then charging forward and head-butting him in the chest, knocking the monster back and giving himself a concussion, in turn knocking him down on his ass. Mana gripped the tanto and slashed the Arcturian across the stomach, disembowelling him and spilling blood and entrails all over.

"RAARGH!"

With one last cry of might Mana swung the tanto upward slashed the Arcturian across the throat, and the slaver toppled over backward to die drowning in it's own blood. She felt blood not her own splashed over her face as she wiped it off, tasting a bit in her mouth.

She pursed her lips…

**So that's what it tastes like. What my future children were expected to taste…**

She then heard Shinji groan and quickly ran to him.

"Shinji-san," she cried as she helped him up. "Are you…?"

Shinji wobbled his feet and cut her off, "I-I'll be fine. J-just need to…"

Mana caught him just as he was about to fall down. Then Gaun materialised from behind them, startling Mana.

"Yautja-sama!" Mana cried.

Gaun bent over and scooped up young Shinji and stood there before Mana.

"Y-you were _just_ watching us?" Mana cried. "Why didn't you help us?"

Gaun slanted her head as an expression, to make up for the fact she was still wearing her mask, and stated, "The two of you had _it_…"

She indicated the dead Arcturian.

"…under control. If I thought you were unable to kill it then _I_ would have killed it off myself."

"Mother…" Shinji croaked in her arms as he slowly lost consciousness.

Mana then cried in frustration, "What about when we were hiding out in that house…?"

The two of them then heard horns blow some distance away.

"You handled it!" Gaun exclaimed. "Let's go!"

(SSJNYH)

Soon the Yautja Huntship was departing RVA-214, leaving the black city and the dead planet behind, it's Arcturian masters still searching for the Hunters. There were still conflict, however, only that it was on the Huntship itself as it sat a course for the Homeworld.

In the conference chamber…

"What. In. Pauk. Happened?" Nam snarled, emphasising each word venomously.

This was the first hunt he had led that ended in failure, them nearly comprised and discovered because of the actions of one Unblood and possibly his overseer. He directed his gaze toward the other Yautja there were lined up and standing to attention, particularly at Gaun, who looked back almost venomously.

Nam mentally flinched…

**Is she glaring at me because of Curved Blade…or just because she doesn't like me **_**period**_**?**

"Curved Blade would not suffer the death of a fellow ooman child," Gaun stated, drawing outraged looks from the other Hunters. "And neither would I."

A repeat of what happened four years ago Gaun had brought yet another ooman back onto the ship, and every Yautja was on edge. There was the Huntress with her _son_ Curved Blade curried over her shoulder, the reddish-brown haired ooman girl by her side as they stepped on board the ship. No one argued with her as they had to get away as fast as they can and away from the Arcturians. Now that they had reached minimal safe distance tempers were flaring, once again a repeat of four years ago.

"Save it!" Nam exclaimed. "I checked the expedition time. This fuck-up occurred at least a minute before Curved Blade decided to grab someone his own species to poke…"

'Charming,' Merl'we thought, amused.

"…so it's someone's else little Unblood c'jit that nearly cost us our hunt for the first ever time!"

One of the other Yautja, an atypical looking Hunter, sighed loudly and stepped forward…

"It was Kur," the Hunter groaned. "He tried to claim his first kill and was spotted, setting off the alarms."

All eyes turned to him. Nam crossed his arms.

"Bal'mata?" the largest Yautja snarled.

Bal'mata growled, "But I blame the ooman for his failure! Good reason as well!"

"Do tell."

"Kur felt threatened by it!" Bal'mata snarled. "All the Unbloods feel threatened by it and it's training by Gaun…"

Gaun was unfazed. Nam however found this funny.

"Blaming _someone_ else for your failure?" Nam drawled. "Wow…you actually went _there_! How did _you_ become Blooded in the first place?"

"And why was _it_ brought on this expedition with us in the first place?" Bal'mata argued. "It's a distraction, it's not of our species…"

"Yet he is an Unblood!" another Hunter exclaimed, drawing surprise from everyone else for standing up for Curved Blade. "You cannot blame the presence of another Unblood for your own student's failure!"

"Which will mean MY life!" Bal'mata cried. "Kur's father will not suffer my failure in training his spawn!"

Nam shook his head, "That's _your_ problem. You should just tell him that his sire should beat some sense into the arrogant little tetch'na…"

**Ah…we're just drawing this out!**

"Pauk! ENOUGH of this!" Nam exclaimed. "We'll just see what the Elder has to say about all this. We're done here."

(SSJNYH)

Sometime later as Gaun was walking toward her, Shinji and now Mana's shared quarters…

"Gaun!"

The older Huntress turned around to see Merl'we walking up to her.

"You're bringing _another_ ooman back with us?" the younger Huntress grinned. "_That_ has to be a record."

Gaun sighed and leaned against the wall, "The female is Curved Blade's responsibility. Once he regains consciousness of course."

Merl'we was surprised, "So you won't be adoptin…"

"No."

Gaun cut her off with a glare, silencing her.

"I _had_ a daughter."

Merl'we looked apologetic and bowed her head, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up S..."

"Don't say _her_ name."

The younger Huntress closed her mouth and retracted her mandibles slightly, "Sorry."

"I only have a son now," Gaun said. "My other pup is dead. No other female will replace her."

Gaun then walked off, leaving Merl'we standing there, alone. Merl'we then looked sad, obviously remembering Gaun's first apprentice her first 'pup', her _daughter_ if she could be called that.

**Straight Blade…**

Merl'we sighed. The Elder naming Shinji Curved Blade was an obvious call back to Gaun's first apprentice…and 'daughter', one who wielded a straight tsurugi type Japanese sword.

**She can't REALLY be dead, right? **

(SSJNYH)

In the medical suite lying in his bunk and out his armour and with his equipment unstrapped save for his wrist-comps, Shinji looked so peaceful. Mana was kneeling beside him and mesmerized by his now unmasked face, fascinated by the little scars on his cheeks. She traced each scar with his hand, eliciting movement from his eyelids as she did so. Mana smiled.

"Shinji-san…"

"Curved Blade."

Mana spun around to see Gaun standing in the doorway.

"Yautja-sa…"

"My name is Gaun," the Huntress corrected her as she walked in. "And I thought I told you to stay in _our_ quarters."

The ship's healer M'kanosa appeared from behind a screen and answered, "I invited her in here, Gaun. It would do him good to have another one of his kind waiting for him for when he awakes."

Mana smiled appreciatively of M'kanosa. Gaun grabbed a chair, sat it up next to Shinji and sat facing Mana. She spent some time staring at Mana, who slowly became apprehensive of her.

"Gaun-sama?"

"Zaibutsu, right?"

She indicated the kanji tattoo on her body – the Mark of a Slave, property owned by the Zaibutsu.

"Yes," Mana replied.

"What you doing out here?"

Mana nervously ran a hand though her long hair as she sat there, facing the ground, "I was abducted from my planet by the Arcturians. They told me I was going to become a breeder for them – I would have to birth more slaves for them."

Gaun shuddered.

**Typical Arcturian. Everything else is like cattle to them!**

"And what was your designation before the Arcturians came for you?"

"Slave-Breeder."

**The Zaibutsu? They waste nothing with their slaves. If you can hold a weapon: They'll make you fight and if you fought well enough, they'll make you breed. If you can't hold a weapon: Males work until they drop dead, while females would just be made to breed.**

"By your _own_ people?"

Mana looked ashamed, looking away from her.

"Look at me, Mana."

She did so, seeing that Gaun somehow looked stern, and somehow sympathetic at the same time. She relaxed a little.

"I…I was born into it," Mana said quietly. "The boys in my family were always made to be slave-warriors, the girls instead had to bear the children of the Zaibutsu's strongest free warriors – the Elite."

For the first time in a long while, Gaun was…taken back.

"H-how many brothers and sister do you have?"

Mana took up a thinking pose, before answering, "I...I don't know. A dozen, maybe more…"

Gaun nodded, no longer feeling shocked by instead unimpressed. "Well, in a way the Arcturians did come and save you from such a foul destiny, even if they planned to inflict the same on you. It is luck that Curved Blade wanted to spare you further suffering by their hands."

"Curved Blade?" Mana was genuinely confused.

Gaun indicated Shinji, "He introduced himself to you by his ooman name – Shinji."

Mana looked at Shinji, and couldn't help but blush once again, "I…I don't know what to say, really I don't."

She then felt down and sighed.

"I…I can't return to the Zaibutsu. They'll execute me as an escaped slave…"

"Yes, that does leave you in a peculiar situation, does it not?" Gaun said.

Mana nodded, "Unless…"

She smiled.

"…I serve HIM now."

"Eh?" Gaun clicked her mandibles confusingly.

"I know my place in the universe, Gaun-sama," Mana stated. "There's nothing else for me now."

"We don't believe in such things," Gaun stated, looking down dangerously at Mana. "One's circumstance of birth does not dictate one's chosen path."

"Being saved by Shin…Blade-san," Mana corrected herself from referring to Shinji by his 'ooman' name. "Being saved from my fate has opened up another path for me, and _I_ choose to serve him."

With that Shinji begun to stir and he slowly woke up. Gaun darted between Shinji and Mana, then nodded in understanding at Mana.

"Very well."

"Uhhh…what's 'very well'?" Shinji groaned, then felt his head. "Awww…crap."

"That Mana here has pledged servitude to you, Curved Blade," Gaun explained.

Shinji's eyes widened at his mother's response, then at Mana, the girl smiling at her.

"Wha…?"

"She is to be your aseigan," Gaun explained. "Her new place in our society: Your servant."

"I…?"

"Otherwise, her previous masters will kill her as a runaway," Gaun explained matter-of-factly. "Her fate is in your hands."

Shinji felt a headache brewing and he groaned…

(SSJNYH)

**Guess what I decided?**

**Things were less of a clusterfu…mess…then I thought it would be when we returned home. Gaun claimed Mana as a spoil of the hunt and given to me 'as a present'; that's what she said to the Elder. Kur got beaten by his sire for messing up the expedition, and apparently he tried to blame me for throwing him…that got his ass kicked but good.**

**Things only got awkward when we returned to our cave…**

(SSJNYH)

As they walked alongside that familiar lake towards the cave that served as their home, Mana continued to take in as many of the sights of this exciting, new world as possible…

"I've…never been to a planet like this before," Mana smiled. "So much rock and heat. Then again…"

She paused, appearing thoughtful.

"I've never been to a nightmare place like that red-skyed planet either," she continued. "What about you, Blade-dono?"

"No," Shinji shook his head, trying not to make eye contact with her."

**This is a big mistake…**

"Is something the matter, Blade-dono?" Mana asked, concerned.

"Don't call me _that_," Shinji said, heated. "I don't like being called 'lord' or 'master', I…I'm not comfortable with that…"

Gaun snorted, "You'll have to get used to it…Shinji-dono…"

They stepped into the cave just as the sun started to go down. Gaun paused and spun around to face the two of them.

"Tonight, _you_ will sleep in Curved Blade's corner," Gaun declared. "You're familiarise yourself with your master's place of residence.

She mentally smirked when she saw that Shinji blushed. Mana smiled lightly.

"Any…objections?" Gaun sounded like she was briefly channelling Merl'we and being a tease.

She shook her head, once again speaking in perfect Yautja, "None, Gaun-sama."

Gaun nodded and said her goodnights before walking off towards her corner of the cave, now openly smirking when he saw the look of embarrassment on Shinji's face, though the two youngster didn't see it. Shinji turned his head to her, still blushing, and Mana looked back at him, smiling lightly. Shinji sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"So…?"

"Yes, Blade-dono?"

"Shall we go to…bed?"

He led her to his corner of the cave down another passage and directed her to the singular moss padding on the ground.

"You can sleep there, tonight," Shinji pointed at it.

"There's only one padding, though," Mana pointed out, eyebrows crossed in confusion.

"I know," Shinji replied. "And _you_ can have it."

"Mmm?" Mana turned to him, surprised.

"You can sleep on it," Shinji reiterated.

"What about you, Shinji-dono?"

"I…uh…" Shini fought back the annoyance of being called 'lord'. "I'll be fine with just a blanket."

"We can share…"

"_I'll_ be fine."

**I like my space**.

Mana looked at him, unsure. Shinji narrowed his eyes and waved his hand around the floor padding. She laid down on the pad hesitantly, looking up at Shinji. He then smiled, reassuringly.

She smiled back, then felt fatigue finally overwhelm her.

"Goodnight, Blade-dono…"

Mana drifted off saying her goodnights to her new master. Shinji sighed and shook her head, admitting defeat that he wouldn't be able to stop her from calling him 'master.' Whoever Zaibutsu was, they messed her up far worse than Shinji would care to admit the Clan to done to _him_.

Nevertheless he smiled and pulled the blanket over her, leaving her to sleep on his moss padding, opting to grab another blanket and wrap himself on it on the ground at the far end of his section of the cave.

He then said, in perfect Japanese…

"Goodnight, Mana…_san_. My mei'hswei."

(SSJNYH)

**PRESENT DAY**

"SHINJI!"

Misato ran out into the EVA Cage just as he saw men in hazard suits lower Shinji onto a stretcher, a trail of LCL leading from the entry plug, having had to be cut out of it.

"GET HIM INTO SURGERY, STAT!" one of the men ordered after he attached an oxygen mask to his face.

Misato ran beside him, keeping him in eyeshot.

"HANG IN THERE, SHINJI!" Misato exclaimed. Just as he disappeared behind the doors leading into medical and she was barred from entering, she called out desperately. "YOU SURVIVED WORSE, DO YOU HEAR ME…? "

She then hung her head, gripping her pendant tightly.

"…please…don't die…" she whispered quietly, feeling moisture in the corner of her eyes. "Please."

She looked like she was about to break down into tears, but she managed to restrict herself to a brief sob.

**Don't leave me all alone again.**

And she was unaware that Rei was watching her through the security camera from the control room, with a newfound curiosity towards Shinji Kasumi and those he allowed to be close to him…

* * *

Mei'hswei – Friend/Ally

_Next chapter – Battle with the Fifth Angel and the Bad Bloods….stay tuned…_


	22. Chapter 21: Thunder

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_A/N: I'm moving S.S.J.N.Y.H. to the Crossover section permanently. That's where it belongs._

_Enjoy..._

* * *

Chapter 21 –Thunder (Smile)

* * *

In Weyland-Yutani's Tokyo-02 Headquarters Alan Langley Garber sat alone in his office, the window blinds drawn and his desk lamp on. Laying before him besides the usual corporate paperwork was a wireless telephone, and two small photos.

One of them was of a grinning fourteen year old long red-haired, blue eyed girl of European appearance, and another of a short black haired, brown-eyed bespectacled woman in her mid-thirties, also of European appearance. His daughter and his second wife, respectively.

He sighed, reached for the phone, opened up the Quick Dial menu and scrolled down to **ASUKA.** He then moved his thumb slowly towards the **DIAL** button and looked like he was going to push it…when suddenly he put the phone down on it's hook.

He groaned. Then picked the phone up and tried again. This time his scrolled to another name: **SOPHIE.**Once again his thumb hovered above the **DIAL** button, then once again he backed out and slammed the phone back on it's hook, albeit more violently.

Realising what he had done and the penalty he must now pay, he groaned.

**Here we go again.**

Slowly he opened the upper left drawer under his desk, revealing a snub nosed six-chambered revolver, next to a small box of ammo. He placed the revolver on the desk, followed by the ammunition. He opened the chambers and put in one .36 cartridge, clicked the chamber back into place, then spun them. He then breathed in calmly, then put the barrel of the revolver against the side of his head, unhesitant.

He gave the photo of his teenage daughter another glance, then pulled the trigger…

CLICK!

…exhaled, spun the chamber again, put the revolver back against his head. He spared the photo of his wife another glance, then pulled the trigger…

CLICK!

He then dropped the gun on the desk and collapsed in his seat, arms hanging limply at his side. He then glanced up at the ceiling and shook his head. His phone then rang and he quickly reached for it…

"Weyland."

_Garber. Am I interrupting anything?_

"No, sir."

_Angel was sighted. EVA-01 was deployed, then recalled. We got the data we needed._

Garber smiled, then his mouth ached and he rubbed it, "Is _he_ dead?"

_No, the AT Field protected him for the most part. Kasumi's progressing a lot faster as a pilot than we thought he would. That's a plus for us._

He frowned, then it faded and he looked surprised when Weyland next said…

_**Your **__team weren't supposed to kill him, Garber_.

…and for a second he was afraid that the Chief Executive Officer of Weyland-Yutani could read minds.

**No, **_**that's**_** just stupid…**

"Wasn't trying to, sir?"

**At least I made him hurt.**

(SSJNYH)

In the war-room Weyland, Garber, Schaefer and several TRIDENT officers were watching NERV test Ramiel's capabilities on a holo-projected screen. First with a large scale dummy of EVA-01 pulled by a remote-controlled tugboat. The Angel quickly blasted it out of the water. This was followed by the self-propelled mortar, which deflected off Ramile's AT Field, it being so powerful it could be seen by the human eye.

"Tough piece of floating geometry all right," Schaefer noted.

_A nigh impenetrable flying fortress, _Yutani stated over the com. _Analysis?_

Garber looked at his tablet with the results, "Angel designated Fifth's targeting capabilities 100% and AT Field powerful enough for conventional weaponry."

"What about it's drill?"

Everyone took note that it had produced a beam drill that was currently making it's way down through the GeoFront and towards NERV HQ.

"It will make contact with NERV HQ early tomorrow morning," Garber stated.

"And everything that we've got at the moment won't cut it," Schafer mused.

Weyland rubbed his chin, "The AT Field _can_ be pierced. We just need the biggest gun we can assemble in the shortest amount of time. Ms. Yutani, did you hold on to those contracts with the Japanese military after the merger?"

_What kind of question is that? Katsuragi will be asking for whatever R&D's got that requires all the power in Japan._

"Send it to her, then," Weyland said. "Right away."

_**Before**__ she asks for it?_

"That'll let them know that _we_ know more about them then they care to admit, sir," Garber said. "And SEELE…"

"Will finally start to believe they're not as safe or as quiet as they like to think they are," Weyland replied, frowning. "Hopefully they will start making mistakes. And whatever throws a proverbial spanner at them works for me."

He then smiled.

"Bring up footage of Kasumi's first sortie with the Fifth."

The holo-screen displayed EVA-01 shielding itself with it's AT Field, before Ramiel's beam pierced it, melted through it's left hand as it tried to continue to shield itself.

_It would appear Shinji Kasumi is on his way to mastering the AT Field. That's a bonus for us. Garber…_

"Ma'am?"

_I'm sure Miss Sohryu __**has**__ to be prepared to fight by __**now**__, am I right?_ Yutani didn't bother to hide her displeasure of NERV not bringing the Second Child to Japan at the very beginning of the conflict. To her, that spelt inefficiency and _**stupidity**_ on NERV's part.

Garber frowned, "She's _ready_…"

_I'm not worried. If her latest psyche evaluation is of any indication she would do well to stay on Kasumi's good side. __**If**__ he has a good side, that is…_

Garber grounded is teeth, sensing contempt from the Chief Operating Officer towards her daughter. How dare she? Asuka was a proud, confident, driven young woman, someone any father would be proud of…

"Thank you for your input, Ms. Yutani," Weyland stepped in. "Schaefer…"

"Sir?"

"Is TRIDENT on standby once the Fifth is terminated?"

"They are," the Austrian man answered. "I'm tagging along this time, though. My joints could use some loosening…"

(SSJNYH)

Through NERV's Hospital Wing Rei pushed a small cart carrying a tray of food towards Shinji room, once again no expression on her face, thoughts dominated only by what Misato had asked her to do that. That, and also of Shinji Ikari, no, Kasumi himself.

The door into Shinji's hospital room opened automatically. She found his bed empty, all wires to the appropriate monitoring equipment lying on his pillow.

**He does not stay down for long at all.**

She looked to her left to see Shinji, naked except for the bandages around his chest and the slippers he wore on his feet, opening a nearby clothes cabinet. She found herself studying his body, curious in how it looked so different from any other adolescent human body, with his muscles and the large amount of scars he acquired, no doubt all over the years he spent with the aliens.

**His body is still able to function despite so many…injuries.**

Her view shifted to his face, his eyes closed as if he were in deep thought. He sniffed…

"Are you just going to stand there Ayanami?"

Rei looked inquisitive, "You identified me through smell, Kasumi?"

"No. Just the food you brought with you," Shinji responded dryly as he produced a set of patient clothes.

**His attitude…strangely shifts.**

"Major Katsuragi said to get you something to eat," Rei said.

"Where is she?"

"With the Commander and Sub-Commander devising the next operation."

Shinji glared at the mention of 'the Commander', his father. Rei noticed this…

**Hatred for his father is also intact.**

Rei didn't bother to look away as Shinji turned to face her, and Shinji didn't mind the fact he was exposing himself to her, seeing how she wasn't bothered at all; and this drew curiosity from him as well as he laid the clothes on the bed. Shinji noticed she had gone quiet and was now just staring at him. He looked up at her, frowned then walked around the bed and sat on it. He then crossed his arms, almost like he was daring her to keep staring at him and his nakedness.

"Is that all?"

"We leave in sixty minutes."

Shinji smirked.

"You're amused?"

"That I get another chance to kill the Paya Amedha after it lays me out?"

He stopped smiling.

"My clan won't be able to _hang_ that over my head once I finish it off."

Rei then reached into her pocket and pulled out a notebook.

"The schedule for the operation that will begin at zero hours tomorrow. Shall I read…?"

"Give it here."

Shinji got off the bed and snatched it out her hand. He paused, realising he once again didn't get any sort of reaction of our Rei. He then flipped through it…

**Kasumi and Ayanami at Cages…1730 hours. EVAs activated at 1800 hours. A half-hour wait…**

**1830: Arrival at Mt. Futago base. Await further orders…**

…

**I hate waiting.**

He then gave the notepad back.

"Right," Shinji replied. "Sixty minutes?"

"Fifty nine now…."

"See you then…Ayanami."

Rei nodded, "Kasumi."

She then turned and left the room, leaving Shinji alone with the food tray on the cart. Shinji then sat back down, moved the cart in front of him and begun eating. He scrunched his face up distastefully, realising once again he was eating _hospital_ food.

**Cho't!** _**Now**_** I understand all those jokes oomans make about hospital food.**

(SSJNYH)

In NERV Tactical around the same time as Weyland-Yutani had finishing assessing the situation they were buzzed by a communication from NERV Medical.

_Captain Katsuragi. The Third Child is up on his feet._

Holding his tablet, Makato smiled briefly before he inquired of Misato, "I suppose raising the white flag is out of the question?"

"Not a chance," Misato smirked as she leaned forward on her chair, knowing that it wouldn't take long to restore EVA-01 back to fighting condition, and it didn't take Curved Blade long either. "As long as Shinji's heart is still beating in his chest we're still in the game."

(SSJNYH)

Merl'we clad herself in armour that covered almost every formerly exposed area on her body, knowing that her previously skimpy choices in protection were not going to cut it for the next battle. She then checked her weapons and equipment, for the third time. Wristblades, combistick, plasmacaster, speargun, chakram and shuriken; she armed herself to the teeth.

Her then put her mask on and looked over herself, finally satisfied that _this_ time the Bad Bloods weren't going to catch her by surprise; and Shinji or anyone else for that manner were not going to get themselves killed rushing in to save her. She frowned, and then sighed into her bio-mask.

She then heard knocking on her door and she opened it.

"Nam," she greeted the equally armoured and armed male Yautja coolly.

"_You_…are **not** going out tonight," Nam replied firmly.

"Concerned for me, Nam?" Merl'we tried to sound playful. "I'm touched, rea…"

"They're not _touching_ you this time, Merl'we!" Nam exclaimed. "Don't try to shrug off what that hac'nikt piece of c'jit _did_ to you."

Now Merl'we sounded angry, "I haven't! I'm going to make sure he doesn't try and lay his filthy hands on anyone else…"

She then tried to push past him.

"…and it's a little late to start being concerned about my…_honour_ now, Nam!"

Nam snarled, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into his arms, tracing his left hand over her masks, they mouthpieces almost touching.

"Would it help if I said: I never stopped caring about you, Merl'we?" Nam sounded calmer. "I never once thought were you were sullied because of that fucking scum?"

Merl'we thought about relaxing in his hold, but found herself pulling away from him.

"It _would_ have helped if you didn't _wait_ to say that." Merl'we stated. "And we only mated once."

"You were…_are_ special."

"And all those other females that _came_ right after me?"

Nam didn't miss her deliberate use of double entendre, and was surprisingly silent, "…"

Merl'we snorted as she walked away, "Not _special_ enough, apparently."

Nam watched her walk away, and a brief moment he looked sad. He then frowned and shook his head.

"Fine," he muttered as he walked the opposite direction. "Be that way."

(SSJNYH)

"How can we be sure if the Bad Bloods will reveal themselves once Curved Blade has slain the Paya Amedha."

"It is _their_ way, Razor Sword: To allow two other opposing forces to whittle the other down, then they swoop in to finish them both at their weakest."

"Feh…cowards. And we are only sending _three_ Hunters and _one_ ooman to face them…?"

"Why…?"

The Elder and Razor Sword turned towards the doorway, to see Gaun step into the meeting chamber, her apprentice Mana at her side, both armed and ready for battle. Razor Sword scowled at the Huntress' latest ooman apprentice then turned his attention to her.

"Why, Razor Sword? You do not think at least three experienced Hunters are a match against two depraved minded Super Predators?"

"Every Hunter on board this ship has the right to face them!" Razor Sword exclaimed. "And we are only sending you two plus the ooman. Every Blooded in our clan desires vengeance after the Bad Bloods attacked out home last year..."

They all noticed Merl'we step into the chamber, and Razor Sword suddenly turn his attention on her.

"…especially _you_, Merl'we."

Not knowing what he was talking about Merl'we huffed, "_Me_?"

"Tell me you are not the only who desires vengeance against the Bad Bloods for what they had done to the clan?"

Merl'we eyes widened briefly before she scowled, "Probably not. But if they're here for Shinji, I'll be the one standing between him and those tetch'na."

The younger Huntress paused.

"Nothing messes with my little brother."

Razor Sword growled. Merl'we looked wryly at him.

"Are you…upset, no…JEALOUS…that Bad Bloods of the Sinister Eye clan consider Curved Blade a _worthy_ opponent?"

Razor Sword then clicked his mandibles, then turned his head and frowned. Merl'we grinned…

"C'jt, you ARE jealous."

Nam was the next to arrive, and rolled his eyes when he saw Razor Sword with the Elder…

**Once again Razor Sword is whining like a little lou-de'kalei…or what oomans would call 'a little bitch.' Heh…**

"We trust this clan's reputation on the back of an ooman?" Razor Sword exclaimed.

"If Curved Blade is slain, then we will pick up the pieces," the Elder replied. "But returning to the subject of only Curved Blade, Gaun, her latest Unblooded apprentice, Merl'we and Nam slaying the Bad Blooded Twins…"

He paused, and gave a throaty, authoritative growl.

"…if we send _all_ our hunters on that errand then they would be routed by the oomans that are no doubt gathering throughout the fortress city, waiting for Curved Blade to bring down the Paya Amedha…

**That deadly piece of floating geometry.**

"…then the Bad Bloods will reveal themselves to finish off the one that disgraced the youngest of the two, then finally…the oomans will move in..."

The Elder then smile.

"That is where ALL our Hunters will declare open season...on the oomans."

Nam grinned, "Right on all those oomans' pretty looking skulls!"

Merl'we smirked, "Works for me. We get the Bad Bloods, everyone else can settle for the oomans."

Mana kept silent, indifferent to the fates to all the oomans that will die by the clan's blades tonight.

Gaun turned to Razor Sword, "I am sure you would want to settle for acquiring yourself a few ooman skulls. To confront Mal'Kafir in Shinji's place and spare him…"

Razor Sword growled and turned his back and went off to prepare for the upcoming Tokyo-03 wide hunt.

"The Bad Bloods are yours!"

(SSJNYH)

"…you requisitioned prototype positron technology from the JSSDF labs, captain? I'm impressed."

Kozo's praise ringing in her ears, Misato was still feeling bewildered about the fact that when she was had just thought about requisitioning the position rifle from the Japanese Strategic Self-Defence Force she had received a call that it had just been cleared for use by NERV. She and Ritsuko chalked it up to someone spying on NERV, and that someone had to be Mr. Weyland. They didn't doubt that the Commander knew this as well…

…**wonder if Ikari is going to do something about it? Last thing we need is one of those large-corporations-with-private-armies-and-can-do-whatever-they-want butting in NERV's business.**

"And we'll need every megawatt of power in Japan to launch that piercing shot through the Angel's AT Field," Misato said. "Dr. Akagi?"

_EVA Units 01 and 00 have been prepped. Pilots are en-route to the cages._

Misato smiled lightly. Damage to EVA-01 from it's first sortie against Ramiel was less then expected, due to Shinji's use of the AT Field. Though there were still problems with it's right hand which it had used to block the particle beam right before it melted through it's palm. Shinji would no doubt experience numbness in his right hand, but it wouldn't affect his ability to pilot.

_There is also something else._

Gendo leaned forward over his desk. "Which is?"

_MAGI predicts that the creatures the Third identified as Mal'Kafir and Kal'Vakir may attempt to kill him once the immediate threat posed by the Fifth Angel has passed, _Ritsuko explained. _Should we scramble the JSSDF to intercept them?_

"No need," Gendo replied. "TRIDENT is deploying teams at specific points all over the city for exactly that purpose. This would be their opportunity to not only eliminate or capture those particular xeno but the ones that the Third has allied himself with."

Misato frowned, knowing Gendo couldn't see it with her back turned.

_**Allied**_** with**_**? **_**They're his **_**family**_** for God's sake**_**!**_

_MAGI has also calculated a 95% chance that the Third's clan will engage all armed combatants within Tokyo-03's limits,_ Ritsuko continued over the line.

"So it'll be open season, huh?" Misato deadpanned. "Shinji will call them off."

"You have that much confidence, captain? I wouldn't be so sure," Kozo said. "Shinji still doesn't hold humanity with that much regard."

"I concur, but it's of no consequence," Gendo said. "TRIDENT would also have predicted this outcome and will take necessary steps to counter the aliens…"

He paused.

"You have my authority to proceed with the operation, captain. Get to it."

"Yes, sir."

(SSJNYH)

And so by _eighteen hundred and thirty hours_ both EVA Units 00 and 01 made their way towards Mt. Futago, unaware that it wasn't just ooman eyes that were watching Shinji and Rei maneuverer their EVA towards the mountain, the roads leading up to it filled with trucks carrying portable generators and what appeared to be a EVA-sized bolt-action Springfield rifle waiting at the top.

Upon seeing the weapon from inside the entry plug, Shinji mentally deadpanned…

**The apex of ooman technological development…**

Next he and Rei were on the ground being briefed by Misato and Ritsuko.

**So it's close to midnight and right now Misato and Ritsuko start explaining how that infinitely oversized Springfield rifle, carried by **_**me**_** will be able to punch through the Angel's AT Field, and that Rei, holding the ray-shielded underside of a space shuttle, will provide cover once the Angel returns fire on us. Misato mentions it would take 20 seconds for the rifle to recharge if I miss…**

"I won't miss," Shinji stated, confidently.

**I won't.**

Misato smirked, "Good to hear."

"Though in the event that you do," Ritsuko cut in. "The shield will also last seventeen seconds against a continued particle beam assault."

Knowing that it would take another three seconds for the rifle to recharge, Shinji pointed out, "So I won't miss."

Shinji could sense how much Ritsuko was being put off by his confidence judging from her tone of voice and the way she frowned his way when he answered her. Misato noticed this as well…

"Just let the rifle's targeting system line up your shot and pull the trigger. Easy."

She then said with authority…

"Understand, pilots?"

"Yes, ma'am.", Rei replied, Shinji just nodded.

"I'll see you in control, captain," Ritsuko turned and headed towards a nearby VTOL, waiting to take her and Misato to the command bunker further up the mountain.

Rei turned and headed towards EVA-00's holding platform, leaving Shinji and Misato alone. They just stood there, facing one another. Misato looked away slightly…

"So…?"

"Yeah."

"I'd wish you luck, but…" Misato said. "You don't like that, do you?"

Shinji shook his head, "I don't believe in it."

He then smiled.

"Thanks, anyway."

He then turned around and headed towards the platform. Misato's eyes widened…

"WAIT!"

…and she cried out after him. Shinji turned around, and was surprised to find himself be embraced tightly against her, her arms across his back and her nose in Shinji's hair. The Boy Predator froze in his place, a mystified expression on his face.

"M-Misato…?"

"Try not to get killed this time, alright?" Misato whispered.

She then grinned, almost teasingly.

"I can't decide to be your mate or not if you're dead, you know."

Shinji blushed, then nodded and said firmly, "I…I won't die, then."

He then joined Rei, who had been watching their exchange, once again curious about pilot and superior's behaviour towards one another. She looked away once Shinji started walking towards them.

(SSJNYH)

Ritsuko glared at Misato as she climbed into the VTOL after her, having witnessed her being _intimate_ with Shinji. "Really, Misato?"

"Just making sure he doesn't do something stupid like drop the rifle and charge the Angel," Misato said, smiling.

**No, obviously encouraging him to drop his **_**pants**_** and charge at **_**you**_**after**** he kills the Angel is **_**much**_** better. **

"You're giving me _that look_ again, Rits," Misato groused above the VTOL's engines as it took off and flew up the length of the mountain.

"You're not taking this whole alien betrothal thing seriously, I hope?" Ritsuko asked.

Misato appeared shocked, "Wha…? HELL no…"

She frowned.

"I'm just keeping Shinji in that normal adolescent state of mind instead of the berserking borderline suicidal one seeing previously with his last two sorties."

She then crossed his arms.

"You recall the bills to fix Tokyo-03 up, right?"

"Fine, point proven! Whatever works, I suppose," Ritsuko massaged the bridge of her nose. "Just keep it…at least _above_ legal, alright."

Misato snorted, "What do you think I am."

**A **_**lot**_** of things, Katsuragi.**

Misato then looked at the window, and stopped frowning. Instead she appeared despondent.

'Shinji…'

(SSJNYH)

Soon Shinji and Rei were sitting high up on the platforms next to their respective EVAs, watching all the lights in Japan slowly go out, except for the spotlights that were shining on Ramiel that still floated above Tokyo-03 a fair distance away. The Boy Predator imagined each of those lights as someone's life…

…**and how each of them would be extinguished if I don't kill this Paya Amedha. Never thought I'd be caring about what happens to the oomans here on Earth.**

Sitting cross-legged he then looked to his left to see Rei sitting on her separate platform, a long drop between the two of them.

**Even **_**her**_**, someone who thinks so highly of my **_**sire**_** and someone I feel I should keep away from, but I can't.**

"You didn't answer my question, Ayanami," Shinji stated.

Rei continued staring forward.

"Why do you have faith in _him_?" Shinji asked. "Why do you pilot it?"

The azure-haired girl was ever emotionless when she replied, "It's all I have. I have nothing else."

"EVA?"

Rei looked over at him and nodded, "Without EVA there would be no reason for me to exist."

Shinji snorted, "That's what Ikari _wants_ you to believe, Ayanami. If EVA hadn't existed, you would _still_ be here…"

(SSJNYH)

"…and you would find _some_ reason to live. A _better_ reason to live."

If she knew it would the appropriate time to, she would have sighed.

**He does not understand.**

"You have such intense animosity for Commander Ikari?" Rei asked. "You would have me believe that everything would be better if you do kill him."

Shinji pursed his lips, "No. My bearer would still be dead. I would still be a Predator and I would still have my scars. Me killing him…"

He growled.

"…I just want him to pay for what he did to _us_. For killing my bearer, for abandoning me. I want him to pay in blood."

Shinji looked back at her, his look of anger faded when she looked at as if she pitied him.

"You blame him for your misfortunes?"

"_**Every**_ one of them. All the pain I felt right up to becoming a Blooded Hunter. He was responsible for all of it."

"What about the people you have established a connection with?"

"…"

"If not for Ikari leaving you for the aliens you would not have met the people that 'depend on you.'"

Shinji became silent.

**He has nothing to say. Just as the Commander said.**

He then smiled mirthlessly, "Ikari told you to ask me _that_, didn't he?"

**Again. The Commander predicted so…**

"…" Rei in turn was silent, at first. "Yes."

"And if he does _anything_ to them," Shinji bared his teeth. "...you can guess what I will do to him."

**He is…conflicting…**

"…Do you enjoy violence, Kasumi?"

"Do you enjoy piloting EVA?" Shinji asked back.

"It is necessary."

"That's my reason too," Shinji replied. "I won't let him get away with hurting me, Ayanami. No one will ever get away with hurting me."

_**Will?**_** He was not referring to the Commander.**

"Will you feel any better for it afterwards?"

Shinji narrowed his eyes pensively. He then admitted, "Probably not. I can't let it stand, though. It's just revenge, Ayanami."

He then breathed in and out.

"If I didn't have what I have now, then _that_ would be all _I've_ got left. And after _that_, I would have nothing left."

**That is **_**the**_** truth…**

"…" Rei was contemplative. "Kasumi?"

"Mmm?"

"We already _have_ nothing," she answered. "EVA is all we exist for."

"For _you_, maybe," Shinji said. "I still have something to live for once the Paya Amedha are all dead."

He then stood up and stretched.

"You should find some reason other than EVA, and my _sire_, to live for."

"Why?"

Shinji looked at her as if he pitied her, "Otherwise...people will start thinking you're _not_ ooman."

Rei raised her eyebrows at that statement.

**He meant **_**human**_**.**

"If we survive the night, I _challenge_ you to find something other than EVA to life for," Shinji smiled lightly. "Then you'll know for sure if we really do have _nothing_."

Rei regarded him quietly, his words sounding like they were ringing in her ears. She then checked her suit's wrist clock. She stood up.

"It's time."

Shinji nodded and walked over towards his EVA's entry plug.

"Kasumi."

He turned around to face Rei as she climbed into her plug.

"It there are other reasons for you to be alive, I'll protect you so can accomplish them."

Shinji regarded her for a few moments, then smiled and climbed into his plug.

"Just tonight will do. You won't die either, Ayanami."

(SSJNYH)

As the pilots readied themselves for sortie, TRIDENT found themselves deployed all over Tokyo-0; each heavily armed with both conventional weaponry and their new pulse rifles, and carrying the latest in movement tracking technology. The mercs were stationed in encircling positions around Ramiel, out of sight of it's particle cannons by cover provided from between buildings and alleyways.

They weren't happy about it. Stationed on a rooftop outpost half-a-click behind Ramiel Schaefer peered at the Angel through his binoculars, grimacing at the way it continued to drill through the Geofront beneath the city; behind him TRIDENT soldiers fortifying their position with heavy weaponry, ready for the onslaught that would occur once Ramiel was taken down.

Apone was sceptical about that, evident by his approaching Apone and stating, "Colonel."

"Lieutenant."

"Sir, does Weyland really think those freaks will show once the kid takes that…"

He pointed at Ramiel.

"…whatever the hell _that_ is down?"

"Weyland's a…fairly intelligent man, lieutenant," Schaefer replied, lowering the binoculars and turned his head towards his second. "If he thinks they'll go after Kasumi once he takes the Angel down and he leads em' back into the city…well…"

He smiled.

"That's something _I _would do."

"What if they take Kasumi down before he even gets out of the damn robot?"

"He's a tough little bastard. He'll lead them here," Schaefer said. "And if his clanmates decide to join in, we'll be ready for them as well."

The Austrian then gave a weary glance towards the portable tracker one of his soldiers was setting up nearby.

"If Weyland's new toys don't crap out on us."

"They have his Seal of Quality," Apone deadpanned. "And Weyland always goes for quality."

Schaefer snorted…

**Including child soldiers.**

…then tapped his headset communicator, "Holmes?"

_Yes, sir?_

"Anything?"

"_Nothing's pinged…yet."_

"So keep your eyes open! Once those things show up, either _we_ kill them or they kill _us_! All bets officially off!"

(SSJNYH)

However…

SMASH!

…meanwhile PenPen was roused from sleep by the sound of the glass door leading onto the balcony being smashed, followed by loud footsteps. Cautiously opening the door leading into his fridge he peeked out just in time to see a tall, feminine looking figure step out the hallway leading towards the bedroom, carrying Shinji's weapons and equipment.

The penguin froze when the figure turned towards him, then slowly raised a finger towards her mouth in a 'hush' motion. Pen Pen simply nodded, then disappeared back into his fridge, slamming the door behind him.

Merl'we smirked behind her mask…

**Curved Blade's right. He **_**is**_** a smart bird.**

**Wonder how he's doing right now?**

**Wait for me, **_**Blade-kun**_**…**

(SSJNYH)

**12:00AM…**

Shinji exhaled as he sat back in his seat, hand grasping his reins.

_You ready, Shinji._

"Yeah."

_Rei?_

"Affirmative, Captain Katsuragi."

_Alright. Shinji…Curved Blade, we're giving you all the power of Japan. Make it count._

EVA-01 picked up the Positron Rifle and squatted, manoeuvring itself so that it was 'looking' out for the scope.

**So they begin draining the entire country of electricity to power an EVA-sized version of the gun that killed some president, or whoever it was I read about…**

**Ikari's probably watching this.**

_Pull the hammer!_ Makato exclaimed.

Shinji/EVA-01 did so, loading a battery into the rifle.

**Once again: Ooman ingenuity – a giant sized bolt rifle. **

**C'jit. What a joke!**

As the targeting computer corrected for Earth's rotation, the visor came down over Shinji's eyes, automatically zooming in on Ramiel. Shinji felt irritated that seemingly everything was being done _for_ him by both computers and the technicians sitting safe in their steel bunker up in the mountain.

**This sucks! I actually thought fighting Paya Amedha would be a series of worthy fights. So far…I've only killed them with a team behind my back…actually half-a-mile beneath my feet, safe and sound.**

(SSJNYH)

On the screen Misato was alarmed to see that Shinji appeared to be having one of his 'moments.'

"Target locked! Ten seconds until rifle charged!" Shigeru exclaimed. "Nine…eight…seven…six"

Misato frowned and was about to yell at Shinji to focus when suddenly his head jerked up beneath the visor.

"Five…"

(SSJNYH)

_Four…_

**Eh?**

Shinji felt his hunter initiation give him a sudden chill up the spine. Somehow he knew that Ramiel had spotted him, and was currently pointed in his direction.

_Three…_

And Misato knew that too, judging from her alarmed cry over the com, _Shinji, the Angel's…_

_Two…_

"I know!'

_One…_

Hepulled the trigger just as Shigeru finished the countdown, discharginga massive positronic energy blast that hurtled towards Tokyo-03, specifically Ramiel.

(SSJNYH)

"OH FUCK HERE IT COMES! COVER YA' EARS AND SHIELD YA' GODDAMN EYES!"

Seeing EVA-01's energy blast hurtle toward Ramiel, the TRIDENT mercs either got behind cover or pulled protective goggles over their eyes. Schaefer and Apone had goggles on as a nearby technician's laptop tracked the shot.

"100 YARDS…50 YARDS…RAMIEL COUNTERATTACKING!"

Schaefer grimaced as Ramiel opened up and charged it's particle beam.

"We see that!" Schaefer cried. He then ordered, "EVERYONE HEADS DOWN!"

Ramiel then fired. The two beams intercepted, then proceeded to criss-cross each other. EVA-01's beam struck outside Tokyo-03, but to Shinji's surprise…

**I…I missed…**

…then realised Ramiel's particle still hurtled towards his direction, but hitting the mountain beside him and rocking the entire area, and NERV's outpost, in shockwaves, the TRIDENT squad surveillancing EVA-01 running for their lives before their previous position was blasted away.

"Oh…c'jit," Shinji realised that the rifle needed to recharge.

_THE ANGEL HAS YOU LOCKED IN! _Misato exclaimed over the com. SHINJI, _MOVE WHILE YOUR RIFLE RECHARGES!_

"Right. Ayanami?"

_Kasumi?_

"Follow me!"

Shinji/EVA-01 grabbed the rifles power cables then proceeded to slide down the length of the mountain, then propping itself against then mountain, rifle sticking out towards Ramiel as Shinji's targeter worked to reacquire the geometrically shaped flying fortress. Shinji gritted his teeth as the countdown timer continued from seventeen seconds…

**Come on you hac'nikt ooman piece of c'jit! Don't let me die NOW!**

…and just when it was about to hit 10…

_TARGET'S CHARGING PARTICLE WEAPON!_ Makato shouted over the com.

_SHINJI! LOOK OUT!_

Ramiel fired again…

(SSJNYH)

…all this time Merl'we and Mana were watching events unfold from the very top of the mountain, cloaking fields on. Mana clenched her fists tightly as she watched Ramiel's fire toward EVA-01, and Shinji.

"G-Gaun-sensei?"

Gaun turned to her, shaking her head.

"Just watch."

(SSJNYH)

As Ramiel's second particle beam hurtled towards him, he defiantly faced it; ready to accept his death and the destruction of humanity on account of his failure.

**I…lost? And this time I'm going to die…**

For a second he briefly appeared sad…

**Mother's probably watching me now. So is Mana.**

**Sorry... **

**Misato…**

…closed his eyes and bowed his head. The glare suddenly lessened…

_SHINJI…__**REI**__!_

Shinji opened his eyes to find Rei standing between him and the oncoming particle beam. Her shield raised and the beam striking it. The beam struck EVA-00 and the shield with such force that she backed up into EVA-01.

"Aya…REI!" Shinji exclaimed, then at the countdown timer. "COME ON!"

_Six more seconds, Shinji…!_

"FUCK!"

The shield then melted inward and the beam slammed into Rei. Shinji roared…

"**SCRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"**

…and holding the positron rifle with one hand he wrapped his arms around EVA-00's waist and spun around, willing his AT Field to shield himself and Rei/EVA-00. The AT field appeared and spared EVA-01 a continuous blast to the back. Shinji then spun around to face Ramiel, both of his EVA's hands on the rifle as he raised to aim at the rifle at the Angel.

_RIFLE CHARGED, PULL THE TRIGGER SHINJI! _Misato shouted at Shinji.

Shinji felt the LCL heat up and begin to burn him as he concentrated on the shape of his AT Field. Slowly, and painfully, as the Angel's beam continued to hit the field he imagined bending the field inward, curving it, and redirecting the beam back at Ramiel through use of a mirror effect. The AT Field obeyed his thoughts and slowly bent itself inward. Shinji smirked very dangerously…

"Heh…"

…and pulled the trigger of his positron rifle. All eyes in Mt. Futago's command bunker his EVA launching _two_ massive beams of energy the hurtled towards the deadly geometric form that was Ramiel, and quickly what _used_ to be Fifth Angel as said beams of energy blasted it, completely obliterating the front of it and blowing out the back; leaving a smoking, burning husk that slowly began to descend upon the city, it's drill snapping off.

Suddenly, loud cheering was heard all around Tokyo-03, all from the TRIDENT squads bunkered down. Schaefer and Apone smirked, the latter lighting up a cigar as they watched Ramiel's hollowed out shell crash and begin to break apart all over the surface.

"And it's not over yet," Schaefer pointed out. "Apone…"

"Yeah, I know," the sergeant replied, then tapped his headset communicator. "Holmes…"

_Right here, sarge._

"Anything on trackers yet?"

_Not yet, sir._

"Get ready to start patrol," Apone said, dropping his cigar and stomping on it. "The moment those puss-faces starting blipping, weapons free. Futago Squads?"

He heard nothing but static from the TRIDENT team stationed on Mount Futago.

"Futago, respond! Hammerson? Natsumi?"

"Interference from the rifle?" Schaefer cut in.

"Or they've been taken out already! Both squads!" Apone exclaimed. "And that means those bastards are heading straight for the kids right now!"

Schaefer grimaced, "Covers blown! Warn Katsuragi!"

(SSJNYH)

**Wha…did I…?**

**C'jit…I passed out again!**

Shinji's body ached all over as he came to, as if he had walked right through a fire. He looked out the side of his entry to plug to see EVA-00 lying still on the ground. Shinji grunted in exertion as he willed EVA-01 to get off from lying against the side of the mountain and reach for EVA-00's plug. He then pulled it out and laid it to rest on the ground. He then ejected his own plug, where he slowly and shakingly made his way out of his EVA and painfully dragged himself towards EVA-00's plug.

"R-Rei."

He reached towards the entry plug's door handle, immediately realising that it was _still_ superheated. He only let out a grunt of discomfort as the steel burnt through his gloved hand, the smell of polyfibre material and his own rapidly cooking flesh assaulting his nostrils. Luckily with all his strength he didn't have to exert too hard to get the door opened.

"Re…Ayanami…"

The next few seconds were a blur. He remembered lifting a still, seemingly unconscious Rei out the plug, then when he heard her weak voice…

"Kasumi?"

…he realised they were lying next to each other on the ground outside EVA-00's plug. Shinji tried moving, but his body wouldn't respond. Whether from exhaustion or that he subconsciously enjoyed Ayanami's close presence.

"My shield…my EVA…would have protected you, Kasumi," Rei let it out as she got up on one knee and hovered above Shinji.

Shinji smiled weakly up at her, "I said 'you wouldn't die either', Ayanami. Remember?"

Rei looked down at him quietly, then looked away.

"I would not have died."

"I had to make sure," Shinji said.

"I…do not know what to say," Rei explained, "Or feel."

Shinji's smile faded, "You…"

He looked contemplative as he rolled onto his side and forced himself to sit up.

"…you should be happy you're still alive. And…that I feel like I care about you."

"You…do?"

Shinji nodded.

"Why?"

"I…I don't know."

Shinji was truthful. He had no idea why he cared so much about Ayanami. He hadn't spent nearly as much time with her as he did with Misato; still he regarded her almost as much as he did Misato, the first ooman on Earth to see his face and not be repulsed, and his designated mate. The first time he saw Ayanami he felt an instant connection with the mysterious albino that held his _sire_ in high regard. Almost as if…

…**as if I found something, or someone, that I lost a long time ago.**

"I just do," Shinji finally explained. "Is that enough?"

Rei stared at him quietly, processing what he just said.

"I _should_ be happy then, though, how should I express it?"

Shinji looked over at Rei, "If you're happy…"

He gave her another smile.

"…then smile."

Rei blinked as she back at him, studying the happy expression on his face. A few seconds passed, she then gave him quite possibly the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

Shinji looked like he was in awe.

**S…so beautiful…**

Her smile then faded, then she queried, "What's wrong, Kasumi?"

"Ah…nothing," Shinji suddenly became stoic. "Would you mind helping me up?"

(SSJNYH)

_Fuck me…that little badass actually did it._

_What's he doi…? Hey, he's getting up! So's Ayanami…_

_Heh, actually needs __**help**__ gettin' up as well! He's ain't so tough after all!_

_Yeah, reckon we should in and snatch him?_

_Negative! Once targets have have been confirmed…hey…_

ZIIINNNGGGGGGG!

"Aaa…"

**SPLATTCCHHHH!**

_OH FUCK!_

(SSJNYH)

Leaning on one another with their arms around each other's backs as a means of support, Shinji resisted the impulse to pause when he thought he heard that familiar, wet crunching sound of a body being eviscerated from behind it. Rei noticed his expressionless, almost petrified face.

"Kasumi?"

"Can you move without my help?" Shinji said as he pulled his arm away from Rei.

"I…"

"Go. Now."

Rei didn't hesitate or even question Shinji as she started limping away, groaning slightly from the pain. Shinji slowly turned himself, just in time for swing his left arm limply and swat a severed TRIDENT head away, thrown at him from the nearby bushes. Shinji extended his wristblade just as the vegetation parted and a large translucent outline stepped out, carrying by the neck a decapitated TRIDENT mercenary.

Shinji straightened himself as best as he could, glaring towards the Bad Blood that now stood before him, and who could easily tear him in half; even if he wasn't still weak from his fight with Ramiel. The Bad Blood chuckled and tossed the corpse aside.

"Little Curved Blade."

Shinji recognised that voice.

**Mal'Kafir!**

The Bad Blood decloaked, to reveal a seemingly male version of Kal'Vakir…only broader-looking, whose armor was spiked with tusks jutting out of his arm and shoulder plating.

"Small universe, eh Little Curved Blade?"

Shinji didn't hide his contempt for the Super Predator. He spat to the side…

"_You_ murdered that ooman female from a week ago," Shinji stated.

Mal'Kafir stepped forward, "So?"

He smirked.

"She didn't even bother to fight back, not like your precious Merl'we."

Shinji gritted his teeth and raised his wristblade. Mal'Kafir smirked even wider and extended a razored-looking blade the size of his left arm.

"Don't start deluding yourself, Pyode Amedha tetch'na!" Mal'Kafir now sounded serious. "You don't stand any kind of chance against me."

Shinji gritted his teeth as pain begun to settle in, "Then why did you come here, then, if I'm not worthy to kill?"

Mal'Kafir snorted, "Not everything revolves around you, ooman! It's unexpected that I find you here on this craphole of a planet. You, and the rest of your fucking weak clan…"

"SHINJI! WHERE ARE YOU?"

**C'ho!**

Shinji froze with panic, a bead of sweat running down the side of his head. Mal'Kafir looked past Shinji to see Misato wearing a helmet and holding a torch, accompanied by a NERV team of four armed with rifles. Misato froze when he saw Shinji before a very large humanoid alien, and that it was looking straight at her. And somehow she felt a cold chill go up and down her spine.

The Bad Blood smirked evilly and turned to Shinji, "Yours, _Shin-ji_?"

Shinji waste any time, as he spun around…

"MISATO, RUN!"

…and neither did Mal'Kafir as he charged, swatting Shinji out of the way before he could defend himself…

"SHINJI!"

…Misato whipped her sidearm out of her vest and fired away at the Super Predator. Just before her escorts could raise their assault rifles Mal'Kafir raised his left arm and fired two pronged miniature harpoon out of his wrist comp, piercing two of their throats and splattering arterial blood all over. Misato's eyes widened as Mal'Kafir was upon her, before…

SMACK!

…she was smacked across the face and fell to the ground. Mal'Kafir then roared and swung his arm blade, disembowelling another of the NERV team before he had the chance to level his rifle, bringing him down to his knees with his entrails slipping out of the slit in his gut. The last remaining NERV Soldier panicked and attempted to flee, then his chest blew outward as the Bad Blood lobbed plasma at him.

He then turned to the disembowelled, screaming guard; grabbed him by the shirt and pants, lifted him up…

"BRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH HHHHHHHHHHH!"

…and shrieked out loud his own variant of the Yautja warcry and tore the ooman apart with his bare hands, raining blood all himself, some of which fell on Misato. Both horrified and sickened by what she was seeing she attempted to reach for her sidearm and stand up, but Mal'Kafir grabbed her by the neck…

"GAKK!"

…and lifted her up in the air.

"MISATO!" Shinji screamed, then in Yautja at Mal'Kafir. _"LET HER GO!"_

"Alright…HA!"

Misato eyes widened in horror, only her training prevented her from screaming (or attempting to scream anyway, since her throat was still in the Bad Blood's grip) when Mal'Kafir suddenly gribbed her pendent and undershirt and pulled his hand back, tearing her pendant and the front part of her undershirt off, exposing her; then dropping her onto the ground, landing painfully on her front.

Shinji gritted his teeth as he tried to get back up. Mal'Kafir then studied at the cross-shaped pendant in his hand, then snorted and tossed it over his shoulder. Misato, having finally located her gun, turned over onto her back and pulled the trigger…

CLICK!

…and, to her seemingly eternal horror, she was empty. Mal'Kafir looked down at her, dropping the piece of her shirt, and chuckled. Misato could somehow feel the Bad Blood's eyes on her exposed, bra-clad breasts, and the scar that ran across them and much of her chest. Mal'Kafir glanced over at Shinji…

"I think you've chosen a warrior, ooman! I…"

He was cut off when that familiar electrical crack of plasma being fired was heard, he spun around in time to see it hurtle towards him. The plasma struck him in the chest and knocked him down. Shinji felt himself get lifted onto his feet, his helper materialising himself to reveal Mana.

"Mana…?"

"GET UP!" she cried urgently. "NOW! GAUN-SENSEI…!"

Gaun stepped out of the brushes, materialising and helping Misato back onto his feet. Misato almost gasped, but recognised her and felt somewhat relieved.

"You."

The Huntress nodded. Gaun then turned to see Mana helping Shinji walk towards them. Misato did, Shinji then closed his eye and looked away; and Misato remembered that she was exposed, and quickly buttoned her uniform up. However what Shinji had seen immediately burned itself into his mind.

**She has her **_**own**_** scar.**

(SSJNYH)

Leaving Misato Gaun drew her combistick and converged on the tied up Mal'Kafir. The Bad Blood snarled and his plasmacaster fired away at her. Gaun swung her combstick and struck the plasma, it exploding and knocking her down. Mal'Kafir cut himself out of the net, but wasn't on his feet for long as Gaun charged him and knocked him back down. Just as Shinji, Mana and Misato were making their escape, the Boy Predator now being carried by both women, his arms draped over their shoulders.

"_MOTHER_!" Shinji cried after her.

"We have to go, Shinji!" Misato exclaimed. "I think she wants us to!"

"WHAT?" Shinji exclaimed.

Mana closed her eyes, tears welling in them. "Y-yes, she does."

"But…NO! MOTHER!"

Gaun felt relieved to hear Shinji's screaming after her becoming more distant.

**Fear not. I'll be right behind you, sochi…**

…before she was knocked off of Mal'Kafir, who proceeded to grab her and then threw face first into a tree, arm blade poised. He struck forward, Gaun dodged and the blade impaled the tree, and then performed a leg sweep. Mal'Kafir countered by bringing his foot up and then down upon her leg, stopping her. Mal'Kafir shrieked in pain, then was silenced by a kick to the face that knocked her down, just as she reached for one of her bandolier pouches.

"It's useless trying to stall me, niece!" Mal'Kafir explained, cracking his neck. "My sister will catch up to them easy…"

"No!"

Gaun hurled the shuriken up at her uncle, three embedding themselves in his armour, the last one hitting him between in the mask, not deep enough to penetrate but enough to knock him back. She then rolled backward onto her feet, activated her cloaking field and running after her son and second apprentice. Mal'Kafir growled and contemplated pursuit, but instead…

'I'll catch them back in the city! Kal'Vakir will slowly them down long enough for me to prep for that little Pyode Amedha c'jit!'

He activated his cloak and disappeared.

'I'll finish him off once and for all…and _then_ that **Bardiel** tetch'na, _wherever_ he is, is next.'

(SSJNYH)

Misato and Mana sat Shinji down inside the waiting VTOL, right next to an unconscious Rei, who was wrapped in a blanket.

"Pilot, take off!" Misato shouted towards the cockpilt. "Back to HQ right now!"

_Yes ma'am_

As the VTOL fired up it's engines, she then turned to Shinji…

"Hey! What are you…?"

Propped up against the wall inside the VTOL, Shinji ignored her and let out a small hiss of pain as he jabbed the hypodermic full of adrenaline into his left arm.

"_Shinji_," Mana said, having watched him produced the Yautja made hypodermic needle from his comp pack. _"Gaun said that stuff has never been used tested on oomans before."_

"_**I'm**__ testing it __**now**__,"_ Shinji said, and sighed when he felt the effects take hold immediatly. _"I'm not finished getting hurt yet!_

"What are you guys saying?" Misato asked.

Shinji and Mana looked up at him.

"Getting myself ready to continue fighting," Shinji said, storing the booster back into his pack. "The Bad Bloods have shown themselves…"

Misato shook his head, "No! You're done fighting for one night!"

Suddenly the VTOL shook as something grabbed out of the side and begun knocking on the door. Mana got up and walked over to it, and before Misato could stop her…

"HEY WAIT!"

…Mana opened the door and revealed Gaun, who turned off her field to reveal her slightly battered form. Misato stepped back, but Shinji's smile of relief prevented her from reacting in a hostile way.

_What the hell just hit us?_ the pilot called out.

Misato regarded Gaun silently, then called back, "Nothing. Get us outta here!"

She then turned back to Gaun. The Huntress extended her hand and opened her palm to reveal Misato discarded pendant.

Now realising for sure she has nothing to fear from Shinji's _mother_, Misato smiled lightly and took back the pendant. "Welcome aboard, Shinji's Mom."

Gaun nodded, then turned to give Shinji and Mana each a cautious one over, then she noticed Rei.

And she froze...then blinked, trying to comprehend who she was staring at…

**T-this ooman girl…**

She _recognised_ her facial structure; every single little detail was something she could bring herself to forget; though the colour was different, even the way her hair was arranged.

…**she looks just…just like…**

Her eyes widened and he her mandibles opened up behind her mask.

_**Straight Blade!**_

Suddenly the VTOL was rocked as plasma from the treeline struck one of the engines, sending Misato and Gaun falling down onto the ground, while Mana and Shinji held onto nearby supports…

_ENGINE ONE JUST GOT BLASTED! SOMETHING'S SHOOTING AT US! _

"GO! GET US BACK TO TOKYO-03," Misato just ordered loudly.

Shinji, Gaun and Mana steeled themselves for the upcoming onslaught that was about to occur…

(SSJNYH)

Kal'Vakir had waited onto her daughter had forced herself into the VTOL before firing upon it, making it sure to damage it just enough so that it would reach Tokyo-03 before going down. And in time for Ooman Season to be declared; all those skulls waiting to be claimed and the armed bodies they were attached to be ripped apart…or even better…

She felt herself become tingly at the prospects. She then watched the VTOL fly back to Tokyo-03, then it's left engine exploded and it plummeted within the city limits.

**Wait for me daughter dearest…**

**And Curved Blade, we'll see for sure if you're worthy being called 'grandson.'**

(SSJNYH)

And all this time, Evangelion Unit-01 just sat there propped up against the mountain, still shielding EVA-00 with it's body. And the soul contained within it felt itself stir…

**Shinji...**

…

…  
…

**Mother….**

…and became restless.

* * *

Cho't – Curse word

The next two chapters will be flashbacks, which will bring the Shinji's Childhood Arc to a close.

Hope you enjoyed almost two months of work; and I'm sure I've have the next chapter up in no time…

GamerJay out…


	23. Chapter 22: Monsters

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_A/N: This chapter REALLY took a lot out of me. _

_(SPOILERS)_

_And I'm feeling real depressed over Rebuild of Evangelion 3.0. I didn't think EVERYONE would turn on Shinji like that...even if he did cause 3rd Impact._

_(SPOILERS)_

_In the manga, however, Shinji was an absolute BADASS. When the time came for 3__rd__ Impact to hit and he got impaled by the MP EVA's spears he went out like a champ fighting against them. Unfortunately, though, everything after that followed the anime and he still ended up a screaming mess. Pity…_

_And he had a cousin, albeit a jerkass cousin? Hmm…I've have to do something about that._

_I have a confession: If Shinji Curved Blade met his canon self...y'know, standing at least a foot taller and looking down on him, he'd be so disgusted he would __**skewer**__ canon-Shinji on the spot.  
_

_(SSJNYH)_

Chapter 22 – Monsters (Years 6 & 7, Ages 11 & 12)

(SSJNYH)

**Mal'Kafir. He wasn't the first true **_**monster**_** I fought against…**

**The first monster was the Kainde Amedha that killed my aunty and uncle.**

**We were…**_**reacquainted**_** when I was eleven years old.**

(SSJNYH)

**Year 6**

"It's a bit heavy."

"It's only a training plasmacaster. The real thing uses more power from the battery slung across your back and is much heavier."

"…it's _still_ a bit heavy."

"Like everything else, you'll get used to it."

"Uh-huh."

Shinji winced slightly as he tried to get used to the plasmacaster that Gaun had just attached to his left shoulder. Even though this model was created for training purposes and tailored for pups that were in training, it still felt considerably weighty for his shoulder alone to support. Gaun stepped back away from and inspected her lightly armoured Unblood pup.

"You're forgetting something," she pointed out, tapping her forehead.

Shinji smiled, nodded and put his mask on; signalling the start of his first day of advanced training; in the use of the clan's more sophisticated weaponry and equipment. Today, however, it would be his first time in handling the Plasmacaster – the shoulder-mounted, independently aiming cannon that were one of the more reasons for the Yautja's infamy within the known galaxy.

Immediately detecting the plasmacaster hooked up to his wrist-comps the tri-targeter activated by itself and dotted Merl'we chest just below her neck. Gaun frowned and pointed toward the firing range.

"Turn around and face the targets, pup."

Shinji complied, his thermal vision filter detecting the flaming torches behind each target – ooman shaped wooden dummies, giving the thermal appearance that each of the dummies was alive.

"Is your vision on Thermal?" Gaun asked.

"Yes," Shinji replied.

"The targeter connected to your mask will immediately designate them as targets…"

Shinji's eyes widened when the triangular target indicators designated each of the torches behind each dummy, each one zooming in on each torch.

"Your left wrist comp. Do you see a rectangular button?"

Shinji looked down at his wrist, "Is it this red button here?"

"Your mask vision will highlight the fire button by colour. Push it."

Shinji finger hovered above said button as he looked back up at the target. He pushed it, and the plasmacaster fired off a plasma volley that struck the highlighted target, the force strong enough to send Shinji falling onto his back.

"Ow…" Shinji groaned, rubbing his back and shoulder, the plasmacaster now feeling like it was even _heavier_ now.

Gaun watched Shinji picked himself up, and said, "Like I said, you will get used to it."

"So it won't knock me onto my butt every time it fires?"

"Exactly."

(SSJNYH)

An hour later both teacher and apprentice left the training facility located within the clan settlement, within the cliff said settlement was built into to be precise. Shinji was rubbing his aching shoulder, Gaun briefly watching him before looking ahead to see Nam waiting for him.

Nam smirked, "Gkaun-yte Gaun, Curved Blade."

Shinji smiled brightly, looking up at him as if he was the first good thing to happen to him all day. Gaun frowned inwardly; her pup and Nam had started to become close, Shinji obviously having forgotten what Nam had put him through during his Unblood training, and the Huntress couldn't decide whether to be glad that Shinji had a non-threatening _male_ influence in his life, or weary that his influence might rub off on the somewhat still impressionable Shinji.

Nam crossed his arms, "You don't look happy to see me."

"Am I ever happy to see _you_, Nam?"

Shinji's smile faded.

The Hunter chuckled, "Heh…you're not still mad about…last week, right?"

Shinji turned away, his face turning into a deep hue of red with embarrassment.

Gaun eyes narrowed…

**That you took Curved Blade to the bathing house last week after training and you got yourself kicked out for indecent behaviour and leaving him by himself?**

...and said, "I've gotten over that."

"Yeah, it's not like he had seen anything _too…_indecent when I wasn't around," Nam muttered.

Gaun growled, causing Nam to flinch.

"…and Merl'we was there anyway, and took care of Shinji…" Nam then rattled off quickly.

He then turned to Shinji and smacked him playfully on the back, causing him to jump slightly as the memories of their bathing house escapades came to mind. However it was funny in that Shinji had still been changing out of his armour in the male's room when Nam had left to, in his own words, give him 'privacy.' Just before Shinji had the chance to ask why; the Arbitrators had dragged a beaten and bruised Nam out by his legs. By chance Merl'we was there and took Shinji home, telling him that Nam, in the span of a minute after leaving Shinji alone, tried to sneak into the female's only section for a 'rendezvous', but the other females didn't appreciate it and had decided to let Nam know firsthand how _unappreciative_ they were.

This was followed by Merl'we laughing her ass off.

"You've totally gotten over that, right? Right?" Nam sounded like he was pleading now.

Eyes widened and realising he hadn't repressed that little episode as well as he thought he had, Shinji nodded and squeaked, "Sei-I."

"So why the grumpy face?"

"…You know why."

Nam looked serious, "Every Unblood pup goes through the same motions."

Shinji now looked worried. Gaun looked down at him briefly.

"I know."

**It ****still**** does not mean I have to like it.**

"What's going on?" Shinji asked. "Nam? Mother? Is there going to be another chiva?"

Both adult Yautja stared down at Shinji, eyeing one another briefly. Nam then ran a hand through his dreads, rolled his eyes and turned away.

"You tell him," he said. "You're the yau-th here?"

"Huh?"

"Yes, there is going to be another chiva," Gaun said. "It will…"

She paused.

"…it will introduce, or reintroduce you rather, to the Kainde Amedha…"

(SSJNYH)

**I thought I was about to pass out. Some part of me still thought what happened years ago only happened the day before. That part wanted to say no, to cry, and to run away, to roll into a ball and just do nothing until Mother changed her mind and I said I didn't have to, that she would stand between me and the rest of the clan who wanted to kill me for no longer abiding by their laws and turning into a burden.**

**To end up like that nameless pup I pulled out the river outside our cave. The one whose mom killed for being a failure. But ****I**** wasn't a failure. I just asked when it was going to happen. And Mother said, "Tomorrow."**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji had felt tomorrow had come too soon, because there he was in armour and mask being led down a long passageway, atypical Yautja architecture more prevalent the deeper he and Gaun went into settlement built into the cliff. Down towards what was referred to as 'The Pens.'

"How many other Unbloods will be there?" Shinji asked.

"All those that have earned their names up to this cycle," Gaun replied. "20 in total."

"Right."

They then stood outside the door leading into the chambers. Shinji swallowed…

"Didn't Nam say I'd have to go in there alone without you?"

"Yes, but…"

"Alright."

Gaun looked down, surprised, "Hm?"

Shinji looked up and smiled, a bit nervous, "I-I can do this by myself. The Kainde Amedha won't break out or anything, right?"

"No."

Shinji nodded, "You'll wait for me?"

Gaun was silent, Shinji having said something that _she_ had once asked of her.

The Huntress gave the same response from so many years ago, "Until you step back out."

The door opened, beckoning Shinji inside. The ooman Unblood gave Gaun one last smile before stepping through towards the pens. For a second as she watched her pup walk away from her she thought she saw her first apprentice, her daughter, walking away from her instead. The door then closed behind Shinji, leaving Gaun alone.

She then put a hand to her forehead and shook it, closing her eyes.

**Straight Blade. Did I do something wrong?**

**Why did you have to leave me?**

(SSJNYH)

The Hunter that was instructing the Unbloods within the cages today was Grave Heart, and Shinji had to keep the bile down when he remembered that the Warrior, at least a decade younger than the High Elder, was the sire of the pup he had won over to earn his name, the same pup that died in his arms from injuries sustained by his own bearer, J'rugar, just because he lost. Shinji had been upset when he learnt that J'rugar escaped punishment, that her spawn had been considered too much of a weakling to punish an experienced Hunter/bearer like J'rugar.

Shinji pushed aside the memories of being covered in the pup's blood as he passed by some empty containment cells reserved for the Kainde Amedha until he stepped toward the secondary steel door leading into the main chamber, to find the Unblooded pups all standing around and idly chatting to one another. They were all at least one to two feet taller than Shinji, evident that the Yautja growth process was different than ooman.

They all became silent, however, when Shinji stepped into view. The human recognised one of them…

**Ty'rae. One of Kur's friends.**

Ty'rae was the youngest of the trio of Unbloods consisting also of Kur and Sy'var that would always try and give Shinji a hard time. Merl'we referred to him as a loincloth-wetting zazin and that he was only Kur's friend because older pup treat him like a little bitch. Her exact words. Sy'var glared at Shinji, so Shinji glowered right back at him, causing the pup to become afraid, flinch then look away, as if trying to give the impression that he was minding his own business.

Some of the other pups laughed, one of them shoving Sy'var forward towards Shinji…

"HEY!"

"Go on! Show that ooman's whose boss!"

…and the pup was before Shinji, who was still glaring at him. Though he was foot taller than Shinji, that didn't sway the ooman from looking dangerously at him, as if daring him to do something that he would regret. All this time, Grave Heart had already arrived and was content to just stand in the shadows and see if Sy'var would take the ooman down a peg.

When it became apparent that Sy'var was going to do anything besides forcing himself to glare back, Sy'var grumbled and stepped into the light. Shinji was the first to notice him and turned to greet him…

"AH!"

… Sy'var shoving him to ground and right before his feet. The other pups laughed, Sy'var smiling as if in wonderment of taking Shinji by surprised. Shinji however got back up on his feet, gritting his teeth as if fuming, and turned his back on Grave Heart. The old Hunter, however, reached down and grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up; eliciting a hushed response from the other Unbloods.

"Ch'hkt-a? Are you ooman?"

Shinji growled, kicking his legs and grasping for Grave Heart's hand.

"Hmph!" Grave Heart growled and tossed him forward towards the other pups.

Shinji landed on his feet, waving his arms forward so that he would fall over backward onto his ass. He then spun around as if ready to leap at Grave Heart, tanto in his right hand and the wristblades embedded in his left wrist-comp extended. Instead he exhaled and stood to attention, as if waiting for Grave Heart to make the next move. Grave Heart looked at him peculiarly.

"Nyaka-de," Shinji addressed him.

Grave Heart nodded his acknowledgement of him. He then turned to the other Unbloods…

"This is an atypical example of the male ooman pup…"

Shinji's eyes widened when he realised that he had suddenly became _part_ of the lesson.

**What?**

"…the male of the ooman Pyode Amedha are commonly the physically strongest of the species and normally are only hunted after they have reached maturity, and know how to handle weapons to defend themselves, making them ideal prey for Unbloods and Young Bloods alike. During your lifetimes you may claim at least a few dozen ooman skulls for yourselves. Of course, that is should you survive for that long."

Sy'var put his hand up, "Why's this one wearing out clothes and wielding our blades, nyaka-de?"

"Because…" Grave Heart paused, then snorted. "One of our clan's _strongest_ Gaun…once again thought oomans can be moulded to be equal as us Yautja."

Grave Heart's statement piqued Shinji's interest.

_**Once again?**_

"Can we hunt _him_ one day?" other Unblood pointed at Shinji.

Shinji balled his fists and steeled himself for conflict. However Grave Heart stood behind him, crossed his arms and glared at the Unbloods.

"You could _try_," Grave Heart stated plainly. "He will simply kill you, and since he has Unblood status he is part of the clan and can get away with it too."

The Unblood shirked away. Grave Heart shrugged.

"Thought so. However…"

He pointed towards a darkened area of the pens, the sounds of a cage on a rail slowly being forwarded towards them from the darkness. The sounds of the cage, combined with the snarling of something that still gave Shinji nightmares. Said ooman felt every fibre in his being freeze as he stared forward towards the darkness, the cage slowly coming into view.

He then saw it: The Kainde Amedha. While the other Unbloods watched in fascination of the creature, Shinji felt soul-chilling terror for the first time ever since that horrible night when he gained the scars on his cheeks; the shape of things to come.

The sole Kainde Amedha within the electrified cage resembled the common drone, only that it was bigger, at least half the size of a Queen with the head to almost match, and thickly armoured, strong enough to withstand conventional Yautja weaponry; where it would take only explosives to crack it's exoskeleton and spill it's acidic blood all over.

"However…" Grave Heart continued. "The Kainde Amedha _cannot_ be tamed, and therefore have earned the sole privilege of being only known as prey! This prey…"

He growled and stepped closer towards the cage. The Kainde Amedha shrieked and threw itself against the bars, earning an electric shock that drove it back.

"…had somehow managed to survive long enough to achieve it's current state. The responsibilities heaped upon it: To protect the Queen, the one that gave it life. And it will do so with a vengeance lacking in it's previous forms! Now…"

He glared.

"Which of you believe he can stand before the Kainde Amedha?"

Shinji swallowed. This was another first for him: He wasn't eager to prove himself towards his Yautja overseers and so kept quiet, as did the other Unbloods. Fate, however, took issue.

"Curved Blade?"

"N'yak-de?"

"Step forward."

The Unbloods all stood aside, giving him a straight path towards Grave Heart and the cage Kainde Amedha. Shinji froze there, unwilling to move any closer. He heard whispering amongst the Unbloods…

"Look at the ooman, he's scared…"

"He's not so strong after all…"

"SILENCE!"

Grave Heart's bellow provoked the Kainde Amedha to shriek even louder stilled their tongues, and caused a few to shiver. Shinji's fear compounded even more when Grave Heart shouted at him…

"COME HERE OOMAN! NOW!"

…and Shinji reflexively obeyed, walking towards Grave Heart and the caged Kainde Amedha. Shinji cursed himself and now wanted to run away, but his legs insisted on walking forward until he stood before the cage and the Kainde Amedha that looked ready to pounce. Shinji tried to shy away from looking at the Kainde Amedha, but Grave Heart's presence stopped that notion and instead he just stared forward at the monster, the monster in turn 'looking' back at him despite it's seemingly distinct lack of eyes.

"K-Kainde Amedha…?" Shinji confirmed to himself what the creature was, praying that this was a bad dream.

"Correct, Curved Blade," Grave Heart answered. "Gaze into the face of your prey."

Shinji looked like he was about to burst into tears and run away.

"I-I'm scared…" he made out, meekly.

"Good. You know that it can kill you should you falter. Step closer towards it…"

Shinji swallowed, still confident that nothing can do wrong; that Grave Heart, despite his brusque attitude towards him, wouldn't allow the Kainde Amedha to hurt him, seriously at least.

"O-ok…"

Shinji moved closer towards the bars until he and the Kainde Amedha were level. Shinji swallowed and held his gaze towards the eyeless abomination separated between electrified bars, and could almost feel it's breath, if it could be called breath, upon his face. Shinji felt his confidence return tenfold as he got used to being up close to the abomination.

But just when he thought he could finally stand up to these things and not feel the temptation to turn and run…

SCRAWWWKKKK!

…and it opened it's mouth and it's inner set of jaws popped out between the bars…

"AH!"

…and almost taking Shinji's face off it he hadn't jumped back in time. The other Unblood all gasped, then proceeded to laugh. Shinji turned around to face them, almost in disbelief that they could still laugh at him despite forcing himself to be brave and stand before the Kainde Amedha. Grave Heart shared his sentiments.

"And which of you is next to demonstrate his bravery?"

Once again he drew nothing but silence from the Unbloods.

"This concludes your introductions to the Pyode Amedha…"

He indicated Shinji.

"…and the Kainde Amedha."

He then indicated the snarling Kainde Amedha. Another masked Hunter decloaked out of the shadows.

"Leave now."

The Unbloods all followed the Hunter out of the cages, except for Shinji who stood there unsure. Just as he was about to follow the other Unbloods he paused, and turned around to face Grave Heart. He briefly looked past at him the Kainde Amedha, now being flanked by two other heavily armoured Hunters. Shinji looked pensive, his hand moving towards his tanto's sheath as if for comfort.

"I…I don't understand…" Shinji referred to Grave Heart's passive behaviour towards him; him who had been responsible for his son's death. He expected Grave Heart to be openly hostile towards him, to even attempted to kill him for cheating the Nameless Pup out his life.

Grave Heart knew this, "I wanted to know if my pup's death was not wasted after all. Gaun's attention on you, and the bonds you have forged between yourself and the clan's strongest have not been wasted after all. You have potential, Curved Blade, and it will be interesting to see how far you can go before your inevitable death."

Shinji breathed hard, feeling upset that Grave Heart could dismiss this so easily.

"But…he was _your_ pup."

Shinji could see sadness within the Hunter's eyes.

"And _nothing_ will bring him back," Grave Heart was morose as he responded. "If you wish to settle this between us, however…"

Shinji was paying attention.

"…you can continue to live for him."

The Boy Predator was confused. He nevertheless nodded…

"Yes, n'yaka-de."

He then became silent, until he suddenly remembered whom was responsible for the loss both ooman and Predator mourned. He bowed his head, clenched his fists and closed his eyes tightly as he became angry.

"I…hate _her_ for what she did to _him_."

**As much as I hate **_**him**_**!**

Grave Heart nodded sadly as he walked backwards towards the darkness that led deeper into the cages, "But _I_ cannot bring myself to."

Shinji looked up to see that he was seemingly alone within the lit area of the cages. After taking a moment to collect himself and his emotions he turned towards where the exit was and left.

(SSJNYH)

**I already learnt a long time ago that Monsters aren't restricted to the **_**male**_** glands.**

**The next Monster after that didn't come along at least five minutes after the 'lesson' ended…**

(SSJNYH)

"SHINJI-DONO!"

Upon reaching the settlement's shaded outdoor area Shinji perked up to see Gaun and Mana waiting for him, Mana being the first to greet him with a hug and an affectionate nuzzle, causing Shinji to go bright red. He saw Gaun smiling lightly at him as she slowly approached them.

A year had past and Mana, the former slave with the mark of the Zaibatsu on her calf, had settled remarkably well as his aesigan, or personal servant – though Shinji absolutely refused to see her as such. She was his friend and helper, not a slave; as she had originally been raised to be by this mysterious _Zaibatsu_. He had tried asking Gaun what they were, and she absolutely dodged answering; so he decided to drop it, for now.

Mana assisted Shinji and Gaun in maintaining their weapons, keeping their cave cave gathering water and finding food. They never delegated all the chores onto her. She wasn't a slave, she was a guest. Gaun never saw treated her as her own pup, but nevertheless she was a part of their circle – along with Merl'we and Nam.

Shinji smiled. He was thankful to be surrounded by such people that loved and cared for him, and whom he could safely say he loved as well. He truly had no idea what he had down to earn such warmth; he dared not question it.

Mana pulled away and allowed Gaun to approach him a put a hand through his hair affectionately. She watched the exchange, and wondered how such a relationship between a human and a Yautja could have ever developed. She had been with them for over a year and though she knew the whole story about Shinji being taken from the 'mother world' Earth to be raised; she still couldn't understand Gaun's motivation behind it.

Then again, a lot of Yautja couldn't understand why she would want to keep oomans as 'pets.'

Mana noticed many of the other Unblood running towards their mothers, or bearers as they were formally known as, many of whom greeted with merely a pat on the head and only a few embraced their pups. Mana looked saddened when she realised she had no memory of her own mother – there were only brothers and sisters, all from other mothers.

She wondered how they were doing back…

"ARARAAAAAAAAGHHHHHH!"

She was jolted out of her thoughts by a loud, angry feminie bellow coming from the large double doors leading into the cliff where the cages were. A lot of the other Yautja present were also taken by surprise. Then Grave Heart came stumbling out, weakly clutching at a wound inflicted in his heart region by a knife. And upon recognising the size of the wound as Grave Heart's hand dropped it was the cutlery sort, not for fighting.

Shinji was horrified at the sight, Gaun's her mask of stoicism immediately cracked at the sight of her first instructor from her Unblooded days fall to his knees.

"G-Grave Heart…?" she managed to say through her shock.

"YOU WEAK USELESS MALE HAC'NIKT!"

And approaching from behind was J'rugar, his mate at least twenty years his junior. J'rugar was a large female, at least a foot taller than Gaun, and despite her status as a bearer and not of a Hunter she still had the feminine physique of one. She had a yellowish complexion without any skin specks and her dreads were cropped just above her cheeks.

Her chest was splattered with Grave Heart's glowing green blood and she held the knife the killed him in her left hand. Her face spoke of rage and hatred for everything and everyone that just happened to be before her. Especially towards the ooman children standing on either side of Gaun. Said Huntress reached for her mask and put it back on.

"Why did you kill him?" Gaun demanded. "Your own mate?"

J'rugar spat on Grave Heart's corpse, "Not anymore the tetch'na is! The weakling couldn't avenge his _own_ son!"

Gaun growled…

**What?**

…and stepped forward protectively in front of Shinji and Mana.

"Is that a challenge, _kinslayer_?"

J'rugar bellowed angrily and pointed at Shinji, "That _thing_ is responsible for my pup's fate!"

Shinji's was horrified, "Wha…?"

"HE TOOK AWAY MY PUP'S FUTURE! WHO COULD LIVE WITH THE THOUGHT OF BEING DEFEATED BY A MERE OOMAN!" J'rugar screamed out loud, rage and misery mixing together. "WHAT _I_ DID AFTERWARD WAS MERCY!"

Mana glared at the female. Gaun was slowly feeling her disciplined hold on her anger erode, "Mercy? Murdering your pup _wasn't_ mercy. It was _just_ murder!"

Gaun stepped forward.

"Shinji merely defeated him though chiva that _all_ Unbloods go through! He did not hold the blade that impaled him many times or struck him hard enough to expose bone…!"

Gaun's mandibles were spread out from her face angrily.

"That was YOU! YOU decided your pups fate for _him_! And that was undeserved death, you…"

All couldn't comprehend that _Gaun the Hunter_, the normally cold, professional Predator, had finally been replaced by _Gaun the Mother, _someone whom they thought would never, ever see again

"…you…you MURDERER!"

Gaun paused for breath as she tore off her mask, revealing tears that were stinging her eyes when she remembered gently pulling Shinji away from the Nameless Pup's dead body and holding the sobbing child in her arms like a mother. And afterwards she buried the Pup and went to tell Grave Heart; who told her he had already known about his child's death, but had been unable to protect him and unable to avenge him. The weak-willed Predator thought he had been unable too anyway.

**Curved Blade. Sochi…**

The Huntress closed her eyes and held back a sob, finally bringing herself to comprehend the fact that the female before her had murdered her child in a fit of rage. She opened her eyes just in time to see J'rugar, tears welling in her own eyes, came at her with the knife. Gaun grabbed her hand and twisted them enough to make her drop the knife. J'rugar then headbutted her, then amidst cries and shouts of alarm she went for Shinji and Mana.

Shinji shoved Mana and the way just as J'rugar swung her left leg and knocked Shinji down…

"AH!"

…causing Gaun to bellow angrily and get back up. Ignoring her and opting to end Shinji's life before Gaun ended hers, she lunged at the ooman, only for Nam to materialise beside her, grab her by dreads and bend her backwards over his knees, letting him see his rage-filled face.

"You shouldn't have done that," Nam growled.

"LET GO OF ME YOU FUCKING STUD BREEDER!" J'rugar spat at him.

"Not nice, either."

He then pushed her towards Gaun, whose wristblade was extended and quickly sliced J'rugar across the face, spilling blood. Shinji groaned as he tried to pick himself up, but was held still by Mana.

"Don't move, Shinji-dono."

"No!" Shinji cried. "Mother needs me!"

He then looked ahead and saw J'rugar trying to lunge at Gaun's throat. Instead, however, the Huntress grabbed hers and with an impressive show of strength she lifted off the ground, choking her.

J'rugar struggled to make out, "W-why?"

The Huntress looked over at Shinji, the Boy Predator looking back at her with sorrowful, pain-filled eyes. Gaun then narrowed her eyes.

**All for **_**him**_**. **

**There is nothing else.**

Gaun snarled and lifted J'rugar even higher, _both_ hands now around her neck and strangling the life out of the other Yautja female. J'rugar dared stare into the dark-skinned Huntress' eyes, to find nothing but utter hatred and rage towards her. It was the kind of rage reserved for someone who dared threaten someone else's children. She felt her own anger dissipate in favour of cold fear as she begun to feel Gaun's grip start to turn diagonally.

"Are you feeling this?" Gaun growled. "This is what _your_ pup felt!"

The Huntress then roared and twisted her hands, snapping J'rugar's neck.

"_You_ denied him a name," Gaun's last words to J'rugar was heard by all.

Shinji couldn't keep a small smile off his face as Gaun released her grip on J'rugar's neck and her corpse fall to the ground. He couldn't help but believe that the Nameless pup, as well as Grave Heart, has finally been avenged.

"On your feet, Curved Blade," Nam pulled Shinji up onto his feet and begun to lead him and Mana away. "Let's get as far away from as we can."

Shinji looked over his should to see Gaun standing tall and victorious over J'rugar's broken corpse; the crowd, consisting of mostly bearers with their pups, now gathering around her. Save for a couple of bruises on both him and Gaun, not a single drop of blood were shed.

**There is nothing else.**

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

All stepped aside to allow the Elder flanked by two Arbitrators to approach Gaun and the body she stood above. The Elder glanced over at Grave Heart's slowly draining corpse, then at Gaun still, shocked form.

"Explanation!" the Elder demanded.

Gaun slowly turned her head towards him.

"She…she killed her pup, she just killed mate, she threatened _my_ pup…" Gaun quietly replied.

**I'm a mother.**

**There is nothing else.**

(SSJNYH)

"That was pretty intense, huh Curved Blade?"

Shinji and Mana sat on a bench in the settlement's public area, still trying to get used to Gaun losing control of her emotions and snuffing out another life through it. Nam opted to stand as he reached behind for a the drink pouch on his belt.

"Sei-I," Shinji replied, nodded. "I've never seen Mother like that."

Nam snorted, "Me neither…not in a long time anyway."

**C'jit…whoops…**

"Hmm?"

Nam rolled his eyes, "A _long time_ since she just let her emotions go."

**Better not give him any clues regarding **_**Straight**_** Blade disappearance…**

"Why?"

He took a swig from the pouch and replied, "Something…not nice happened. It's ancient history…"

Nam extended his hand and offered Shinji the pouch.

"…don't worry about it, mei'hswei. Don't let Gaun freak you out or anything."

Shinji smiled and accepted the pouch. Nam gave a Yautja smirk as the boy took a swig, his eyes then widened…

"MMMHH…!"

…and spat out the hot tasting alcoholic drink known as cn'tlip, and begun coughing and spluttering everywhere. Mana was quick to be at his side, her comforting hands on his back and shoulder.

"Shinji-dono!" she then angrily turned to Nam. "What did you do?"

Nam crossed his arms and chuckled, "I just gave him drink, that's all."

The boy gave one last cough, banging his own chest, "What…was _that_ c'jit?"

"Finely distilled cn'tlip. I prefer mine hot, though, gives it a kick. Thought I'd enjoy the look upon Curved Blade's face as he takes his first wig of a proper hunter's drink."

Shinji glared intensely at Nam, "That wasn't funny at all, you…!"

He then forced his next curse out.

"…pauk!"

Nam's eyes widened, but he was still in humorous spirits, "Whoa…who taught you _that_ word?"

Shinji gritted his teeth, Nam's light attitude towards this newest stressful development in his life too much for him, "Is _everything_ such a big laugh to you, Nam? Being blamed for someone else's death? Watching Mother kill someone like _that?_"

Nam stopped smiling and shrugged, almost sadly. "Only if I decide if it is. How do you think some of us still have high spirits for almost a century?"

**Especially after watching your best friend gut himself in front of you, the previous Elder and his infant Sinister Eye beared daughter?**

Shinji's eyes widened.

'Century? He's almost a hundred?'

Nam then snatched his pouch and downed the rest of it's content, then tossed it over his shoulder.

"Trust me, things are going to get worse."

Shinji was coy, "_Still_?"

"Oh yeah…" Nam clasped his hands together. "Things can always get much, _much_ worse. Trust me, being unfairly singled out and finding out your caretaker isn't as tough as she makes herself out to be…"

Shinji raised his hand, "Fine I get it."

He then sighed.

"Things are always going to get miserable, huh?"

"Yeah."

Nam looked bewildered at Shinji admission.

**He just realised **_**that**_** out just now?**

**Gaun…**_**where**_** did you get this little ooman from?**

(SSJNYH)

**Year 7**

**It was pointless trying to call Nam out on dismissing how ugly our lives really are. Two days after my twelfth birthday, ONE day after I broke one of Sy'var balls, the next monster arrived…**

…

…

**I ****still**** don't really know ****what**** happened…**

(SSJNYH)

"How are you holdingup?"

"…"

"Oh, right. Hurt's doesn't it, Curved Blade?"

"Merl'we-san!"

"Shutting up now!"

Merl'we lowered the bottle of cn'tlip away from her mouth and studied Shinji's topknot that laid in the palm of her hand as she, Shinji and Gaun sat outside the cave. Mana was standing to attendance beside Gaun as she wound strands of Shinji's hair together before squeezing them through ringlets, Shinji sitting cross-legged before her, grimacing slightly as Gaun didn't care to be gentle in making her pup go through another Unblood pup's rite of passage.

Either the physically strong for his age, lightly-armoured ooman convert not make a peep or Gaun would tear the rings out of his hair and they would start over again. Thankfully he was silent through the whole process and Gaun was almost finished.

"Finished," Gaun declared and stood up.

Shinji exhaled painfully and ran a hand across his pained scalp. Gaun took the time to study her handiwork: She had cut Shinji's topknot off then shortened Shinji's hair just enough so that the ringed hair that ran across both sides of his head stuck upward and gave the impression that they were sharpened, giving him a wild, feral appearance. She inwardly smirked…

**Like a true Hunter.**

"Drink, Curved Blade?" Merl'we extended her bottle.

"Yeah," the boy accepted it and took a drink, his distaste for alcohol now all but faded.

Gaun growled lightly and Merl'we quickly accepted it back. Merl'we chuckled nervously…

"Relax. It's just me that offers him drinks, not Nam. The c'jit he drinks is enough to burn Shinji from the inside out! Right?"

Shinji smiled lightly, "Y-yeah."

"Hmm," Merl'we frowned and turned her back, walking back into the cave.

**I'm done here.**

This elicited curiosity from Shinji, Mana and Merl'we.

Shinji looked worried, "Was it something we said?"

Merl'we sighed. While Gaun had become warmer over the years ever since Shinji came into their lives, she could still act like showing kindness was to her a burden.

"Mo," Mana said, somewhat despondent. "It's just Gaun being Gaun… for the first time in a long while."

Shinji downcast his eyes, remembering the somewhat cold woman that looked like she had adopted him out of pity rather than his potential or genuine affection. That was proven otherwise, but it was painful to see her like that again.

"I thought she was a different now."

Merl'we smiled mirthlessly, "She is, count on it. But I think all the crap she's being through growing up still weighs her down some."

Shinji remembered the circumstances of Gaun's birth and how she had been treated growing up as the black sheep of the clan. Merl'we noticed his glum look, smiled warmly and sat down next to him.

"She loves you, Shinji. Even if she doesn't realise it."

Shinji looked over at her, "Really?"

Merl'we nodded. Shinji turned to Mana, and saw she was smiling as well.

"Gaun-sama would never have kept you close if she didn't feel that way, Shinji-dono," Mana explained.

Shinji then realised Mana's position, and asked, "What about you?"

"I know my place," she answered, her smile small now as if she were saddened. "As yours and hers aesigan."

Merl'we patted Shinji's back, got up, walked over towards Mana and put her arm around her and led her away…

"Mana-chan…I think we need to have a little talk about males…

…leaving Shinji to sit there, stare out over the river and ponder Merl'we's words. Unbeknownst to him, Gaun was watching him the darkness of the cave.

She turned away…

**Love? Is that what it is?**

**So I can ****still**** feel love for someone else? I thought it died along with Straight Blade.**

**It comes with being a mother I suppose.**

And headed for the other end of the cave where their weapons and equipment were stored in the chest. She opened it, then moved his hand towards what looked like a vault hidden behind a wall where the swords hung. She pushed her hand against it, a computerised beep emitted, locks were retracted and the vault door opened – to reveal a bio-mask forged for an adolescent Yautja.

Gaun reached for the mask and held in before her, gently yet tightly enough as if she were to drop it would shatter on the ground. The Huntress stared at it with wavering eyes, then held it to her chest with crossed arms in an embrace.

She then allowed herself a single sob…

(SSJNYH)

**There was only one other person who may have loved me. My Bearer.**

**I have no memory of her. Whenever I try to think about her I always see Mother…**

(SSJNYH)

The next day outside the cave…

ZIIIINNNNNNGGGGGG!

Shinji and Mana stared in awe at the reforged Samura greatsword sword with ornate handle that Gaun unsheathed right before the boy's eyes. The same sword that Shinji had seen Mana polishing the day before, following him asserting his right to exist towards the bullies.

"What the oomans of the islands they call Japan designated as their greatsword – the odachi they called it," Gaun explained. "Here…"

Holding it across her palms she presented it to Shinji. He didn't hesitate to take it by the handle and hold the massive sword firmly in both hands.

"…how does it feel?"

"Light," Shinji replied.

"Reforged in the Yautja's metal, Gaun-sama?" Mana asked.

Normally Yautja would smack an aesigan upside the head for speaking out of turn, to go as far as kill them. Instead Gaun nodded, albeit irritably. Mana then realised her 'error' and kept silent. Gaun then handed Shinji the scabbard and he accepted it.

"You will wear the sword across your back until this time next cycle," Gaun declared as Shinji sheathed the sword. "You will keep it on you expecting to be ambushed at any given moment."

"Yes nyaka-de," Shinji said.

Gaun then looked ahead to see Merl'we, a very displeased Merl'we, walking their way. Mana's eyes lit up when she saw her while Shinji just smiled. Gaun, however, appeared all businesslike.

"Well?" was Gaun's first word to her.

Merl'we turned her head and spat, "Razor Sword called me a proug'nik for delivering the message for you."

Shinji's eyes widened, and Mana gritted her teeth…

**Merl'we-chan! **

**That's the Yautja equivalent to the C word!**

"Mo, then?"

Merl'we looked her dead in the eye, "Mo."

"Mo what?" Shinji stared at both Huntresses.

Merl'we turned to him, annoyed, "Mo to you being allowed to accompany the rest of Unbloods to one of our ancestral tombs built into the side of the cliff opposite our settlement, to honour Hunters long passed."

"Why?"

The younger Huntress squatted before Shinji and narrowed her eyed all deadpanned, "Because despite you being a named Unblood you still look ooman."

Shinji sighed and scratched his head, "That is a problem."

Merl'we then smiled, "But then again…"

She looked over at Gaun.

"…a few truly outstanding Hunters really don't give a crap about that, right?"

"Yes," Gaun said. "Curved Blade?"

"Mother?"

"Suit up and be ready by nightfall. We will introduce you to two thousand years worth of our history once prying eyes have departed," Gaun declared. "Mana?"

"Gaun-sama?"

"You will come to."

Shinji and Mana turned and smiled at one another as if they were siblings being told to pick their favourite toy.

"And be sure you are wearing your new sword on your back."

"Yes, Mother."

(SSJNYH)

The temple that housed the interior of the tombs was built into the cliff directly below and opposite the settlement, and unlike the other structures up top the architecture was ancient. Standing above the stone built entrance was a steel built statue of a heavily armoured Yautja thrusting a combistick triumphantly above his head with one foot on top of a decapitated Kainde Amedha, it's head being held by the Yautja's free hand.

"Hey…!"

It was just past nightfall Gaun, Shinji and Mana approached the steps leading up into the tomb's main entrance, and they could almost two dozen Unbloods sitting and standing. More correctly: Sitting, standing and lying down all bruised and bloodied all over the place, many of them bruised and covered in blood; blood both theirs and one another's. But all of them were alive.

Mana felt her breath caught in her throat in a silent gasp, "What's…happened here?"

One of the younger Unblood stumbled towards them, then fell over but was caught by Gaun and laid gently on the ground.

"H'chak! H'chak! D-demon…" the pup croaked.

"Demon?" Shinji knelt beside him.

Another Unblood ran forward, panicked.

"It came like a mist!" he cried. "Entered into N-yaka'de, turned on the rest of the adult with the force of a gry'sui-bpe; slice one right in half."

The Unblood then wiped the tears from his eyes.

"It was gonna turn on the rest of us. We would have all died if it weren't for Kur leading all of us out!"

Shinji and Gaun looked up the stairs to see the bully with a scarf over his empty left eye socket tending to other Unbloods. Kur briefly stopped what he was doing to stare back them hatefully. Shinji couldn't bring himself to glare back, though.

"Where is this 'demon' now?" Gaun asked.

"Still inside the temple," the Unblood replied, pointing up the stairs that led towards the entrance. "Standing amongst the bodies of the adults."

Gaun frowned determinedly, extending her wristblade and pulling out her combistick and extending that as well. The Unblood, Mana and Shinji stepped back as her weapons extended.

"Mother?"

"Shinji, be sure no one follows after me," Gaun ordered as she walked towards the temple, up the stairs with the ooman children following behind her.

"Huh?"

"I'm putting you in charge of the Unbloods," Gaun reiterated. "Be sure no one follows me!"

"…" Shinji was confused. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright, then."

Amidst amazed stares Gaun stepped through the entrance and into the temple, leaving Shinji and Mana standing in front of it and watching her form disappear into the darkness. Shinji swallowed, already fearful for his Mother. He then looked down at his left hand to see Mana holding it, then up at her smiling face.

"It's ok, Shinji-dono," she said cheerfully. "Gaun-sama won't be taken down so easily."

Shinji smiled lightly, "Yeah."

He didn't mind the disgusted stares the two of them received, especially from Kur.

(SSJNYH)

**Twenty minutes pass…and I was still sitting on my ass outside the entryway…**

(SSJNYH)

"Do you hear that?"

"I hear…nothing, Blade-dono."

"Yeah! Nothing at all since she walked right in there!"

Shinji growled and got back up, reaching for the hilt of his nodachi and was about to draw it…

"HEY!"

He spun around glaring to face Kur, the taller cycloptic pup approaching him. Shinji inwardly smiled, it was refreshing to see him without his tagalongs.

"You're not seriously going in there, ooman?"

"Why do you care?" Shinji asked, feeling his backbone was at it's strongest with possibly his Mother's life at stake.

"Ooma's aren't supposed to go inside a sacred place…"

ZZZINNGGGG!

He held his tongue when Shinji drew his nodachi and was just touching Kur's forehead. Every other pup stood back and gasped; a mixture of astonishment, awe and incomprehension amongst all of them. Kur swallowed, his remain eyes tracing the length of the large blade right down to Shinji's hand that gripped the hilt, then at the ooman's determined face.

"Go tell on me," Shinji dared him. "And bring him back here. Just stay out of my way!"

He then put his mask on, spun around and ran into the tomb, holding his nodachi over his shoulder and leaving everyone else standing there. Mana rubbed her hand in front of her chest in anxiety for both her friends, both the ooman and his Yautja mother.

"Shinji-kun…"

(SSJNYH)

Shinji felt his bravery fade for moment when he rapidly took his mask off and covered his mouth to stop himself from retching upon seeing the smashed corpse of a Hunter against a steel pillar. Smashed, as if something had grabbed him by the feet and swung him against the pillar like a fruit filled with glowing green juice. He shook his head, composed himself, put his mask back on and continued onward.

His changed vision modes to Predator-Tech view and to his dismay found the outlines of Yautja through the tomb's walls just lying about. And as his foot touched another dead and splattered Yautja he surmised that ALL of them were dead. His breath caught in his throat when he realised Gaun wasn't standing and was on the ground as well.

Suddenly he slipped on the blood and fell onto his back, his nodachi cluttering to the ground…

(SSJNYH)

…the sound the sword made alarming the pups waiting outside. Mana's hand were clasped together as if she were in prayer, while Kur growled, turned around and ran out of the temple grounds.

**Shinji-kun…Gaun-sama…**

**Please…**

She then closed her eyes.

**Koji-niisan, wherever you are…give me strength…**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji gritted his teeth and stopped himself from exclaiming. He then quickly got back up, recovered his sword and continued onward. His mask vision penetrated each of the Yautja bodies he passed and found none of their hearts were beating. Until he found a female shape lying amongst other shapes and whose heart were faintly beating in her chest.

"MOTHER!"

He tore his mask off, seeing the Yautja he was the most familiar with lying on her front, her wristblade still extended. Shinji fell to his knees and studied her closely, seeing no apparent injury on her until he moved her slightly and saw a large, hideous looking bruise on the left side of her forehead.

**She was knocked out!**

Shinji's eyes looked up and he realised that the burial chamber he was in was desecrated. Individual vaults containing the bones of ancient Yautja warriors were torn open, their contents flung about; the bones and ash mixing with the blood and corpses of whatever had invaded this sacred place. Killing every adult within here but had surprisingly spared Gaun.

"Pss!"

Shinji eyes widened and he sensed something standing above him, shrouded in shadow, his glowing red eyes staring down at him and smirking wickedly and playfully.

"Your move, lilum."

Shinji swallowed, then…

"SCRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

…swung his nodachi upward, intending to slice his foe from the crotch upward. Instead he felt the antigen grab his blade, then lift him up off the ground and making him face his darkened, red-eyed face. Shinji felt terrified, but did well in not letting it show. The enemy, however, didn't seem impressed and stepped out of the shadows to reveal...

"…"

…a large eight-foot Predator with reddish-brown skin, dark-green coloured dreadlocks wearing only a loincloth that Shinji recognised as one of the Arbitrators that flanked the Elder's left side. Shinji eyes widened, horrified that a fellow Yautja could do all this to his own clan-mates. He glanced at his hand that was gripping the nodachi, green blood spilling and staining the blade before dripping onto the ground. He then looked back at the Predator, no, MONSTER, and his red eyes that appeared to be staring directly into his soul.

**This…****thing**** isn't one of Arbitrators!**

"W-w-why…?"

The Monster smirked, "I ain't one your law-giving Arbitrators, lilum. His form's a vacant lot and I just decided to move in. Behold…"

He released Shinji's nodachi, then swung his left foot upward, striking in the gut and sending him flying into the far wall. He extended his arms outward.

"Bardiel the Angel of Haze. For he goes where the conflict is at it's hottest. And here…I feel like I'VE BURST INTO FLAMES! HAH!"

Shinji slid down the wall and landed roughly on his behind, bruising it. The Monster, known as Bardiel, extended his host body's dual sword length wristblades, prostrated himself then bellowed out loudly violently. Bardiel then smirked ever wider.

"I've watched your Yautja masters do that. Always wanted to try it myself," Bardiel sounded casual. "That's how they challenge others to battle, right?"

Shinji gritted his teeth as he stood back up, feeling like he had slipped a disc in his back. He then raised his nodachi.

"You're a tough little lilum, aren't you?" Bardiel said, voice sounding praiseworthy. "You must be. You're the only human I've seen to survive in this part of the galaxy!"

**Why is this bastard talking so much?**

Shinji screamed, "STOP TALKING!"

The boy then lunged at Bardiel, swinging his nodachi from the hip and aiming for his head. Bardiel moved his left wristblade, catching the nodachi's sword tip between the blades, then twisting his wrist and causing the nodachi to almost fly out of Shinji's hands. The ooman's grip on it, however, was strong but he found himself lifted off the ground.

"AH!"

Bardiel snarled swung his right leg in a sweep and knocked him back off his feet. Shinji countered by bending his body inwar and rolling backwards back onto feet rapidly.

"Very good," Bardiel said. "I assume this Huntress here…"

He put his foot on top of Gaun's left shoulder, staring down at her then looking back at Shinji to see him ready to explode from anger and grip his sword hilt ever tighter.

"…she trained you, didn't she? The one you look ready to kill me over?"

"She's my **mother** you…you PAUK!"

Bardiel sighed and was heard to mutter 'saw this coming' when Shinji charged him again, thrusting his nodachi forward which Bardiel was quick to parry with his right wristblade.

"Obviously…she hasn't…taught you how…to control your emotions…in battle…yet," Bardiel made out in between blocking Shinji's frenzied blows.

**She has. I just don't want to!**

Bardiel then lifted his foot and brought it down on Shinji's smaller frame in a stomping motion, pinning him to the ground. Shinji then raised and aimed his left wrist-comp up at Bardiel's head, drove his index finger into the side of it and it fired a harpoon speartip that embedded itself into. Bardiel recoiled back, and instead of screaming he instead growled in annoyance.

"Ahhh…cheap shot, lilum!"

**Lilum?**

Shinji rolled over and back onto his feet then swung his nodachi and sliced Bardiel's host body across the gut, enough to penetrate the intestinal lining and it's innards just poking out of the wound. Shinji smiled painfull, believing he finally had the advantage over his opponent. But Bardiel just smiled, not even showing signs of agony. He then rapidly stepped forward and backhanded Shinji, knocking him backward and causing him to trip over a corpse of a hunter. He then retracted his right wristblade and raised his right pointer finger into the air.

Still smiling, Bardiel asked, "Are you watching, lilum?"

The tip of his finger then glowed orange, then he moved it towards his gut wound and traced along it. Shinji watched in horror and he cauterized it, steam rising from the wound and no apparent discomfort on the possessed Yautja's face.

Shinji shivered…

**W-what is this…****Angel****?**

**Angels were made up, right? They don't…kill people, don't they?**

...then shouted angrily when Bardiel came at him, charging him again. The Monster thrust his left place at Shinji, prompting the ooman to leap to the right, then off a pillar and launching himself over Bardiel in an attempt to slash him across the back. The 'Angel' however saw this coming, spun around…

"ARGGGGGHHHHH!"

…swung his left arm down then upward, hitting Shinji in the chest and swatting him out of the air. He flew towards the nearest pillar and slamming into it, crying out in agony and coughing up blood before sliding down it and lying against it on the ground. He tried summoning the strength to move, but couldn't.

"You're the four hundredth and fifteenth person to try that manoeuvre on me. Watching it is an impressive feat of acrobatics the first fifty times….but about four hundred year later…well…"

He sound like he was clicking his tongue.

"…tsk tsk…it becomes stale. Anyways…"

He growled.

"I'm through toying with you. I figured the only human on this planet would put him a decent challenge. I was wrong!

**N-No.**

He felt tears well in his eyes when he realised he was finished, that Bardiel had just been toying with him all this him all this time, that if he wanted to he could have erased him right away just like he did to the Yautja within the tombs and with his mother.

The 'Angel' possessed Hunter growled and stepped towards him, now sounding humourless. "Let's see you get up now, lilum!"

"Awwworgghhhh…." Shinji groaned out loud as he tried to move.

This made the red in Bardiel's eyes intensify

"HERE I COME! HIYAAAAAHHHHH…"

"CURVED BLADE! GAUN!"

BSSSSSHHHHH!

ZZZZINNGGG!

"Eh?"

Shinji's head shot up to see the familiar sound of a chakram being activated, then flung in their directions Bardiel spun around to see a bladed mechanically-augmented throwing disc flying in his direction. The Angel then swung it's wrist blade and deflected the chakram, the steel in the blades cracking. The disc bounded back towards it's owner…

Merl'we. Standing in the entrance hall was her, Mana, Nam, the Elder and about a dozen other masked Hunters. Kur obviously had gone for help just as Shinji had taunted him to too, but he didn't expect he would bring this many Hunters back.

"What the pauk is this?" Nam growled.

Merl'we kept silent, but looked ready to hurl herself at Bardiel's possessed form.

The Elder drew his sword and growled, "Lilum? I have not heard an ooman referred to as such in a _long_ time."

Bardiel smirked, noticing the shifting movements in the Hunters stance as they prepared for battle, and indicated the Yautja corpses surrounded it and Shinji, "You're kidding."

Nam drew his armblade and snarled. Bardiel stopped smirking when it realised that despite knowing what it was, they were going to attack anyway.

"You're kidding, right?"

It's answer came in the form of a dozen targeting lasers on dotted it's body. Bardiel huffed in annoyance as they discharged their plasmacaster all at once. It retaliated by bringing a hexagonal AT Field, the sheer force of it's appearance enough to send Shinji flying…

"WAAAAAAHHHHH!"

…straight into the small crowd, particularly Merl'we and knocking her and few other Hunters back while the glare from the AT Field caused other Hunters to turn away as it caused their vision filters to malfunction and affect their eyesight. The Elder shrieked…

"M-DI H'CHAK!"

…charged, thrust his sword forward, piercing the AT Field and impaling Bardiel through the shoulder, drawing green blood. Taken by surprise Bardiel's field dissipated and swung his arm blade to parry the Elder's next blow, completely winded.

"Oh, wow…" Bardiel cried. "You're blade…it's made of something else, eh?"

"Correct, Paya Amedha?"

"God Prey? Flattered, really. Think I've finally found that challenge I've spent centuries scouring this galaxy for…NOT!"

Bardiel swung his blade even harder and knocked the Elder's sword out of his hand violently enough to snap his arm. The Elder grunted in pain before he Bardiel kicked him in the chest and knocked him down. Now smirking insanely, Bardiel raised his arm and prepared to bring it down upon the old Yautja when…

"RAAAH!"

…he felt his legs give out from beneath him. He then looked down to find that they had been sliced out from under him courtesy of a now conscious Gaun and Shinji's nodachi that had fallen out of his hand.

"I'm _still_ lying down here, you know," Gaun pointed out.

"Oh, bother…" Bardiel treated this as an annoyance as his body toppled over backwards toward Gaun, his legs below the knee still standing.

Gaun rolled out of the way of Bardiel's host body, then spun around on one knee then with both hands on the hilt she swung upward and decapitated him just as his torso was about to hit the ground. His still smirking head rolled away before coming to a rest against a pillar. The Huntress cracked her neck before stepping over towards Shinji and scooping him up in her arms.

"M-Mother…"

"Sleep now, pup."

Shinji then feel unconscious in her arms.

"Awww….sweetness…" Bardiel's decapitated head cooed out loud. "Yet strangely surreal."

The Elder growled and stepped over towards the head.

"So you have broken off from the rest of your collective, have you not Angel?"

Bardiel rolled his eyes, annoyed, "For the moment. We know where daddy dearest in hiding amongst these miserably dimming stars and we're just taking our time gettin' there!"

"And that would mean the extinction of _all_ life?" Gaun growled, briefly glimpsing down at Shinji.

"Nah…just that wannabe Hunter and the rest of the lilum on Earth," Bardiel replied. "We'd be depraving you of your game within Solar!"

The Yautja all growled. Bardiel laughed.

"That'll just leave with the Zaibatsu lilum. And I know _how_ eager you are to start hunting them again."

Mana looked uncomfortable at the mention of her former masters, her current ones looking ready to stomp the head into the ground until it was mush.

"I get the feeling I've outstayed my welcome here amongst the Yautja! I'll just leave you to clean up this little mess…"

The decapitated head then opened it's mandibles wide and a dark mist rose from it and hovered above it, prompting the Elder to step back and everyone else to raise their weapons. Gaun thought he could see slanted red eyes within Bardiel's true form before it rapidly flew past them, out the exit and up into the atmosphere of the planet, it's departure proving to be as abrupt as it's arrival.

And it left them all standing in the defiled burial chamber amongst bodies, bone and glowing green blood. Silence came about them all, before the Elder broke it with a declaration…

"It was not a _Paya Amedha_ that had walked amongst us and took us by surprise; it does not deserve such a title. It was a _demon_! And it shall be referred to as such for here unto the end of existence!"

Merl'we shook her head and stepped over to Shinji being cradled in Gaun's arms, wiping a small trickle of blood from Shinji's forehead delicately, "It _still_ happened, Elder. It still disgraced the c'jit out of us!"

The Elder then sheathed his sword and growled, "But once we erase it from existence, we would have more than avenged _just_ ourselves!"

He then glimpsed down at the skull at his foot.

"More than just ourselves," he repeated.

(SSJNYH)

The bodies of the freshly slain Hunter were carried out of the tomb on stretchers. Gaun followed the procession, being the last to step out of the cave, still cradling Shinji.

Gaun stared down at him, softly…

**Was it love that drove Curved Blade to rush in after me, even after I told him not to? **

**Did the Paya Amedha sense that? Was that why it spared my life, just so it can fight him?**

**Was it love that moved my hand to bring the Paya Amedha down?**

…

…

…

**It was?**

She smiled.

**Curved Blade is ****my**** pup…**

(SSJNYH)

**Our disgrace continued onward into the next cycle…**

**The Bad Bloods of the clan of the Sinister Eye would descend upon us...**

* * *

M-di H'chak – No Mercy  
Zazin – Insect  
Ch'hkt-a – Anxious/excited  
Aesigan – Servant  
Mo – No  
Proug'nik – female genitalia  
H'chak – Mercy  
Gry'sui-bpe - Stampede

The alien was the Praetorian by the way, featured only in the Aliens vs. Predator expanded universe.

Sigh…the Year 7 part is probably not my best work, not to mention being rushed. I'm a little rusty when it comes to describing the martial arts between Shinji and Bardiel. I just wanted to get this chapter over with. With my depiction of Bardiel as a mocking, wisecracking, body-snatching blood knight, I'm trying something different.

**TV Tropes** blew my perspectives away when it comes to the concept of Tsundere. With Gaun wasting J'rugar (the Yautja version of tsundere, and I can imagine they would go as far as actually kill someone they routinely belittle/abuse/adore), that's my **big middle finger** to said concept. Just the way Gaun dealt with that bad-tempered, mentally unstable, abusive child-killer is how Shinji will further pattern himself.

Yet ironically, I think I've characterised Shinji and Gaun as a combination of **Dandere** and **Kuudere**.

Dandere is when a character is usually anti-social but that eventually changes to display their sweet, romantic, and loving soft side….according to Wikipedia.

Kuudere is a character type where the two of them are normally cold and unassuming, but only show their gentle, lighter sides to people they grow to love or at least give them the time of day. Gaun acted like this to Shinji at first. Shinji picked it up from her when it comes to his relationships.

However, Shinji and Gaun would never respect anyone who is/forces themselves to act like a bitch towards them instead of behaving how they would really want to; even if they do understand why they act that way they'll reject them.

To them it's a sign of weakness, stupidity and mental illness. I like to imagine in Yautja society people like that treated as burdensome. And if Tsunderes ever tried to lay their hands on them, you can be damn sure Shinji and Gaun will hit back…**EVEN HARDER!**

Yeah, I can imagine Shinji Curved Blade slapping Asuka…

So…any thoughts or comments on what I've just said?


	24. Chapter 23: Savages

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_A/N: The first upload for this year, and I'm happy it's close to the start of it. Hopefully it'll encourage me to try for faster updates._

_This is the LAST major flashback chapter, and the most brutal piece of writing I've ever done. I hope Shinji doesn't appear overpowered; I'm sure constant training over eight years makes for an efficient, pubescent killing machine._

_I really hope Gaun isn't OOC in this chapter. This is where her barriers collapse, and for the right reason as well. And also some hints of her psychology are dropped as well. _

_Besides the major bloodletting, there is also some implied rape in this chapter so caution is warranted. The twins Mal'Kafir and Kal'Vakir have to be __the__ most evil, most morally bankrupt Own-Characters I've ever created. Not just because of what they do to people, but that they disregard how sacred life is in general._

_Then again when it comes to humans so does Shinji Curved Blade to some degree, if all those JSSDF and Section 2 agents he'd killed so far is any indication._

(SSJNYH)

"Fifty-eight…fifty-nine…fifty-_nine_…?"

"_Six_ty comes next, Blade-dono."

"_Huff_…right…SIXTY…"

Mana sat cross-legged as she watched Shinji, clad in nothing but his loincloth, was doing push-ups on the rocky ground on the flat side of one of the plateau's outside the settlement. She observed how he slowly begun to strain against his continued exercise as the sun begun to set, giving the appearance that that big ball of light in the sky was sitting above him and slowly descending behind him as each minute past, the light almost reflecting off the sweat on his body.

Shinji had hit another growth spurt as the onslaught of puberty begun to set in. The muscles in his arms, legs and biceps became more pronounced and his constant physical exercise became more apparent all over body, giving him the appearance of a miniature barbarian warrior, though more on the athletic side. Though the pups his age were taller than him, compared to other oomans his age he was easily the strongest.

As for Mana, she too had begun to blossom as she approached adolescence. She didn't pay too much mind to it, however, much to Merl'we's consternation when she admitted it to her big sister figure during one of their 'female-only talks', obviously throwing a wrench in her ongoing quest to couple both oomans together as a mated pair.

"Sixty…uhhh…"

He then collapsed onto the rock, groaning into the rock. Mana was on her feet in a millisecond, water pouch in hand. Shinji drank deeply from it, wiped his mouth, then smiled up at the girl as he rolled over onto his back, panting.

"Th-thanks…Mana-chan."

Mana felt her cheeks burn, "Do itashimashite."

Shinji looked up at her peculiarly, "Why do you keep speaking that Earth language?"

Her smile faded and she turned away from his gaze, embarrassed.

Hoping he hadn't offended her, Shinji continued, still huffing, "I mean…sometimes it just comes into conversation."

Mana didn't need to consider her answer, "It's the language of the Zaibatsu. _They_ made us learn it."

Shinji sat up, "Zaibatsu? I used to ask Mother about who they were, and she tells me not to."

The girl swallowed nervously, "Maybe there's a reason she does not tell you."

She then thought bitterly…

'Though I want to tell you, but Gaun told me not to either? What's the logic behind _that_?'

"Maybe," Shinji looked irritated. "It still annoys me though."

"She'll tell you when she believes it's the right time, Shinji-k…"

She cut herself off, Shinji's quickly turning to her, perplexed. She then begun to fear she had overstepped herself.

"Blade-dono."

Shinji stood up, stretched himself and grunted as he felt his bones creak, "I don't like being called 'master' Mana."

"You're an Unblood of the clan, and I'm only an aesigan," Mana replied. "_Your_ aesigan."

Shinji then looked down at her sitting before him, briefly appearing saddened that she would speak of herself that way. He then smiled.

"You should ask Mother to train you, then," he said. "Become an Unblood as well. That way we'll the same as everyone else."

Mana looked at him, bewildered.

"You think so?" she asked.

"Sure," Shinji said. "I think we need all the help we can get. In case…"

He then looked up at the sky.

"…Bardiel comes back."

**Bardiel…and any**_**thing**_** else that wants to harm me, Mana, Mother or anyone else I care about.**

**They will die. The BOTH of them…**

**Bardiel…**_**and**_** Ikari…**

**They will **_**all**_** die.**

"Is that why you've been training so much?" Mana asked.

Shinji nodded, "Yeah."

(SSJNYH)

Chapter 23 – Savages (Year 8, Age 13)

(SSJNYH)

…

**Heh…**

**Guess there's no turning back from telling the rest of this story now, right?**

(SSJNYH)

The next morning as the sun was beginning to rise, for once Shinji was still asleep, peacefully. It was at this point in his life on the homeworld that he had finally achieved a semblance of peace, not just within himself but with his place in life, and among the Yautja he could now safely call his people.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Shinji's head shot up when he heard…

"MANA!"

…a female scream his age from within the cave. Tearing the blankets off him he reached for his katana, drew it and ran out his section of the cave and into Mana. Panic overtook him when he saw the fright stricken girl huddling against the cave wall, blanket wrapped around her…

"M-Mana…?"

…and a small trail of blood leading from a small patch on her sleeping pad up to between her legs where she huddled. Mana looked up at Shinji, tears welling in her eyes.

"Blade-d-dono," Mana cried. "What's h-happening to me…?"

Shinji gritted his teeth, no idea what could have caused this manner of injury on her and became embarrassed about where he suspected it was. Before he could react further he felt Gaun's calming hand on his shoulder as the Huntress stepped into Mana's section of the cave. She then stepped up to Mana and knelt before her.

"Gaun-sama…" Mana whimpered. "W-what's…?"

Gaun simply smiled and gently caressed her face with her left hand.

"You are a true female now, Mana-_chan_," Gaun affectionately referred to her by that suffix, surprising her and Shinji. "_This_ is nothing to fear."

"It-it's not?" Mana asked unsure, slowly calming down.

Gaun's smile then faded, "Curved Blade."

"Yes, Mother?"

"Could you wait outside, please?"

(SSJNYH)

Soon Shinji was sitting outside the cave cross-legged, looking across over the lake, his chin resting on his knuckles as he stewed in worry.

"Merl'we."

Said Huntress materialised behind him. Her shoulders were slumped as if she was resigned to the fact that Shinji could sense where she was and that it was no longer possible to catch him off guard.

"You're no fun," Merl'we pouted.

Shinji smiled lightly, revelling in her poutiness. She then sat beside him.

She then smirked when she decided to get him back, "So how did the male of the cave's get himself kicked out?"

"Female's problems," Shinji replied as he picked up a few stones off the ground. "People keep talking about it, but I didn't think they'd be this…messy."

Merl'we eyes widened in shock, "Oh…you saw…?"

"Relax, It's not like I haven't seen blood before," Shinji said as he stood up and begun skipping stones across the lake. "Just not the colour red."

"Ah…" Merl'we sighed in relief. "So…?"

She turned to him, smirking.

"Any intentions towards her, then? Her being a proper female now?"

Shinji flushed red and the next stone he threw just sank to the bottom of the lake.

"Huh?"

Merl'we sighed loudly and face palmed, tired that the subject of matehood always catching him off guard, "Oh, seriously, Curved Blade…can't you see her as anything more than a friend?"

Shinji glimpsed down at his feet, his lips pursed, "No…I can't. She's my friend, and I don't wanna ruin that."

"_How_ can you ruin that?"

The boy frowned, "It'd be like taking advantage of her."

"Trust me, you wouldn't be."

"I'm not that kind of…person. Besides…"

He shrugged, hesitantly.

"…she's not my type."

Merl'we looked at him, bewildered, "_You_ have a type?"

Shinji blushed, "Y-yeah…"

He smiled, shyly.

"I like females that are like…well…like…Mother."

Merl'we stared at him as if he were insane.

"You're _joking_, right?"

Shinji looked ready to pass out from all the blood rushing to his face, "I _said_ **LIKE** Mother…"

"Relax, I know what you mean," Merl'we waved it off. "But…seriously?"

"I don't know why," Shinji said, defensively as he crossed his arms and rubbed his elbows. "Remember when Mother talked about me having to find a mate? For some reason I keep picturing myself with an ooman female that's older and wiser than me. Not old _OLD..._I like her to be beautiful, but …"

He paused, Merl'we taking the time to get used to this new fact about Shinji's preferences.

"…you know: mature, knows how to handle herself with in a fight and has…well…_authority_."

Merl'we couldn't help but give a quick jab, "So _you're_ the kind of male who wants to be dominated, eh?"

Shinji shook his head, "I mean…the both of us knowing how to get through anything together. I have my talents, she has hers; we'd complement one another. You know what I'm saying?"

"I get it," Merl'we said. "It's…perfectly fine with me."

**So much for all the advice I gave Mana-chan about males and trying to get with Shinji-kun.**

She then looked pensive…

**I know a bit about these kinds of things. Gaun told me he said his **_**real**_** bearer had died when he was still little, killed in one of his sire's little science experiments, and his aunt was anything **_**but**_** warm to him. When Gaun came along I guess to him she's everything the good kind of female should be.**

**Before Mana came along he did always spend most of his time with Gaun and Yours Truly…the two most BEAUTIFUL females in this clan, me having at least a twenty cycles on him and Gaun, I think, about sixty or seventy!**

**Still…guess I **_**should**_** feel happy for him, that he knows what he wants in a mate. Still it feels…a bit off, though.**

**Where are we going to find someone like **_**that**_** for him anyway?**

Merl'we then smirked and glanced mischievously over at him.

"What about me?"

Shinji blushed again, "Uh…"

"Just fooling…disregard," Merl'we chuckled. "You're not _my_ type, either."

Shinji stared at her incredulously, and then breathed a sigh of relief. Merl'we took mock (?) offence to that.

"HEY! WHAT'S WITH THAT SIGH OR RELIEF, EH?!"

(SSJNYH)

Later on in Nam's apartment, the Hunter burst into uproarious laughter as he and Shinji sat conversing at the table, the boy sporting a bruise on his left cheek and bandages around his chest and arms from the day's training with Nam.

"Se-seriously?" Nam sounded like he was about to choke on his laughter. "She asked you _that_?"

"She was just teasing," Shinji pointed out as he ate from a bowl of fruit stew. "I...dealt with it."

"By saying you're not her type?" Nam chuckled, covering his mouth and trying not to bring up the cnt'lip he was drinking.

Embarrassed once again, Shinji turned red, "I didn't say _that_!"

"Might as well have," Nam was still smiling. "She wants _every_ male on the planet to like her!"

Shinji sat his bowl down, as well as his shoulders on the top as he sagged forward, "Ki'cte! It's uncomfortable, though, the way she acts around me."

Nam stopped smiling, "For as long as you have known her?"

"Sei-I."

"And you haven't voiced concern?"

Shinji blew a strand of loose hair from his forehead, "Gaun tells me to just deal with it. It's just her trying to get attention is all."

Nam smiled inwardly…

**Well, she got **_**MY**_** attention almost a decade ago.**

…and glimpsed past Shinji at his latest sexual conquest, a light-teal skinned female almost the same size as him, past the doorway leading into the main bedroom, putting her chest covering on before pulling up her loincloth. Shinji knew what he was looking at and kept silent, reaching for his bowl and kept his head bowed towards it as he resumed eating.

"I'm leaving now, Nam," the female called out. "See you whenever."

**Not likely. **

Nam looked disinterested and snorted a response. The female then stepped out the apartment, the sound of the mechanical sliding door preluding the brief silence. Shinji then looked questioningly up at Nam.

The Predator sighed, remembering that female had still been lying naked on top of his bed when they returned to his apartment, "Yeah, sorry about that. She was _still_ here."

Finishing the bowl off, Shinji pushed it forward, leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, "How many…mates do you have?"

"Mates?" Nam snorted. "I wouldn't call them _that_. With me and females…"

He leaned forward so that his face was few inches from Shinji's, as if making sure he got the message across.

"I don't like to get tied down. And _they_ know it."

Shinji's eyes widened, "That's…"

He then frowned.

"…pretty cheap of you."

Nam chuckled and leaned back in his chair, pouring himself another cup of cnt'lip, "Come see me again when you decide you're ready to plough your _first_ female and you'll understand."

He then stopped smiling.

**Not when you've just reached middle age, that's when you finally get to experience your first time. And you'd believe she is the **_**one**_** you'd spend the rest of your life with. But afterwards, she tells you it was a mistake…**

**A mistake. A big fucking mistake is how she referred to what we shared.**

Shinji shook his head.

"Not me," Shinji stated.

"Eh?"

Shinji downcast his eyes.

"Merl'we almost always waves you off whenever I talk about you," Shinji said. "But…I stared at her eyes and there's sadness in them."

Nam's eyes lit up.

"Really, Curved Blade?"

Shinji nodded, "Yeah."

He then got out of his chair, wincing as his latest injuries acted up.

"Thanks for the training," Shinji smiled painfully and stepped towards the doorway leading out of the apartment. "I'll give Mother your regards."

"And…Merl'we?"

Shinji's paused and turned around to face him, blankly, "Merl'we?"

Nam looked at him, and Shinji could see the _same_ sadness in his eyes. Shinji blinked, appearing contemplative.

"Sure."

"Mei'hswei."

Shinji nodded, smiled and left. Nam just sat there at the table, staring at the doorway for some time.

**I've never told any other Predator that. About me and the females I find myself balls deep **_**in**_** almost once a week for ten years.**

He then turned his head and spat on the floor, feeling disgusted with himself.

**Curv…Shinji's bound to become a better person than me.**

**I wonder what's he thinking now?**

Nam then stood up from seat, left hand quickly reaching down to massage his aching genitals, having waited for Shinji to leave before tending to them; this morning's activities coupled with his student accidentally striking them with one of Gaun's wooden ooman swords there making sure he would force himself to abstain for at least a month.

For once, he didn't mind.

(SSJNYH)

**My whole life after Earth…**

**It must have been a dream…**

**Because the next day I woke up…**

**And found myself **_**still**_** in a nightmare…**

**I've been in it ever since…**

(SSJNYH)

"GAUN-SAAAAMMMMMMAAAAA!"

Shinji woke up to Mana screaming and the sounds of Gaun's angry roar and that of a body being ripped in half, everything above the waist being tossed out of the cave. He kicked the blanket off, leapt up onto his feet off the ground and grabbed his nodachi, pulling it out it's sheath with both hands and ran out of the cave and almost into Gaun.

He spun around and realised in his panic he had ran past Mana, who looked visibly frightened. Looking past a seething Huntress he found a dead Yautja torso lying on the rocks outside the cave. To the untrained eye it would appear as if any other dead Predator, but somehow it appeared different.

It was larger, almost the size of Nam whose size was considered a rarity amongst males; and it's heavy-looking armour could be considered punkish, outsider in appearance.

"M-mother?"

Gaun turned to him, and he saw she was wearing his mask and her dual wristblades were coated in green blood. She then turned towards the settlement. Shinji followed suit, and gasped when he saw a massive Yautja capital-sized Huntship hovering above the settlement, casting an eerie darkness over it.

The Huntress growled, "Bad Bloods!"

"Bad Bloods?" Shinji cried.

"A whole clan of them! The Sinister Eye!"

**Our bitter rivals over the rights to this planet!**

Shinji shivered when he remembered _everything_ that had been said of the Bad Bloods, the renegades of Yautja society. Those thieving, pillaging, raping outcasts. Many of which literal freaks of nature with no honour code to speak of, going as far as gathering prey themselves to dump on an uninhabited game world to hunt at their leisure.

The Sinister Eye, one of the most notorious of these groups – namesake coming from setting their eye on anything they see as game.

Gaun's body movements suggested she steeled herself for battle, taking in deep breaths and heaving her chest, moving her arms clockwise and cracking her joints.

"Mana?"

"Yes, Gaun-sama?"

"Bring out as much of our weaponry as you can carry."

Mana nodded and Shinji watched her leave, gripping his sword tightly. He quickly turned to Gaun when she growled.

"Curved Blade," Gaun sounded stern as she addressed her pup. "Common sense with my affection for you dictates I order you to take Mana and flee from this place as fast and as far your legs can carry."

"What?" Shinji appeared taken back by her statement…to order him and Mana to run.

"Then again, what use would eight years' worth of training be if not to draw steel on this day?"

Gaun turned to stare down at Shinji, who looked back up at her. Gaun somehow could see hopefulness in his eyes, and deep down she felt pride mixed with shame. Pride that she had raised her pup to be eager for the Hunt, and shame for that very same reason, that he would willingly throw himself into death's maw eager to prove himself a great hunter.

**As did Straight Blade.**

**But that I **_**ultimately**_** I denied to her.**

Shinji's eyes were pleading as he said, "I want to fight, Mother. I wanna prove once and for all I can be a good Predator like everyone else here."

**You share my stigma.**

She frowned.

**You are ooman…and I am different as well.**

Gaun nodded and reached down to grip his shoulder, "You shall."

"Shinji-dono?"

Shinji turned his head to see Mana holding his mask. He smiled at her, accepted it and put it on. Gaun grabbed a combistick off Mana and extended it.

"Mana, flee to the edge of the plateau and wait for our return," Gaun said.

The girl looked apprehensive, "But I…I want to help too. Somehow."

"Mana, do what she says," Shinji said. "Please. I-I don't want you to get hurt."

SWEEEEEEEEEEE!

Suddenly a chakram was hurled from the lake outside the cave, hurtling towards Mana. Shinji swung his nodachi both-handed, deflecting it upwards where it sailed in vertical u-turn right back towards them. Gaun blasted it out of the sky just in time to contend with the dark, almost shadow-casted like Bad Blood that rose out of the water; dual arm-blades extended, arms stretched outwards menacingly, plasmacaster overcharged and primed, and his mask eyeports blazing red.

The Red-Eye Predator growled as he stepped onto the ground out of the water, the light illuminating the front of his mask to reveal an angry snarl imprinted upon it. Shinji faced the REP with nodachi poised, Gaun following suit with her wristblades ready and own plasmacaster aimed to strike.

"Curved…?"

"Mother?"

"Ready?"

"Yes."

The REP roared and fired his plasmacaster, lobbing an overcharged glob of plasma hurtling in their direction. Gaun countered by firing back, hitting the REP's plasma and causing an massive blue plasma explosion that blew the REP back into the water and knocked Shinji, Gaun and Merl'we out on their asses. Shinji quickly got back up just as Gaun was rushing towards the water…

"MOTHER!"

…the Huntress getting down on knee as Shinji came running up behind her and launching himself off her back, flinging himself towards the water just as the REP surfaced. The REP Bad Blood let out a surprise exclamation as Shinji came down on him, nodachi first and impaling him right through the mouth piece, through back of it's head, the two of them disappearing back into the water; green blood immediately rising to the surface.

"SHINJI-KUN!" Mana cried out.

Shinj quickly surfaced amidst the blood on top of the water and swam to show, gasping for breath both from the water and the adrenaline coursing through him. Gaun offered a hand and helped him out of the water. Mana smiled with relief…

"Please…be careful. Shinji-kun, Gaun-sama."

Shinji looked determined, glimpsing up at Gaun.

"We will," the Huntress responded.

(SSJNYH)

Within the gathering chambers in the mountain.

"…dirty, honourless…"

With his favourite saw-teethed sword Razor Blade hacked down another Bad Blood as he mumbled to himself

"…fucking, no-good…"

Followed by another, then swung overarm and right into the skull of another; then followed up by rapidly gyrating his hands back and forth and crudly sawing the Bad Blood almost in half, stopping just below the chest just as a Sinister Eye targeting laser locked onto his head. He forced his sword out and dove behind a pillar as the intercepting plasma zeroed on him but hit the pillar instead.

The Bad Blood that had been firing him from up top one of the chamber's viewing platform felt his gasp cut short as the High Elder's wristblade pieced through his back and out his chest. The Elder then lifted the Bad Blood up and he hurled him from off the platform and landed head first right in front of Razor Sword with an audible snap.

The Elder huffed, then growled, "Gahn'tha-cte these Bad Bloods. Their threats upon our clan not were light after all!"

Razor Sword spat on the Bad Blood Young Blood's corpse and stared up with contempt at the Elder, "I warned you! I pleaded with you to put down that half-breed instead of allowing her to be raised as the Mad Elder's pet and now dha-viath is upon us all!"

The Elder dropped off from the platform, using the corpse of the Bad Blood he just killed as a landing platform, the sheer force of his weight causing blood to splatter up from it's eyes and wounds.

"I do not regret sparing Gaun!" the Elder said. "The same way I do not regret killing my predecessor."

The door into the chamber was smashed open to reveal Nam, stepping in with another Bad Blood caught in a headlock. He then broke his enemy's neck, dusted his hands off then beat his chest wailing.

"RAAAAARGHHHHH…good to see you still got some fight in you, Elder."

"Nam," the Elder greeted him.

"Oh, nice to see you too Razor Sword," Nam addressed Razor Sword as if he had just noticed him.

"…" Razor Sword was silent.

Nam then spoke seriously, "I don't have to remind you how important you, the senior Arbitrators and the rest of them old wizened Hunters are to the survival of the clan, right?"

The Elder nodded, "The oldest of them are already in the shelters. I, however, will watch their backsides as they turn tail and run once we have driven them all off!"

"You're serious, old one?" Nam actually sounded bewildered by the Elder's declaration.

"I do not need to _two_ Hunters to watch over me," the Elder stated. He then commanded, "Go on ahead and see to the rest of our clan!"

Nam smirked behind his mask, then growled determinedly, "I know who needs me the _most_."

Razor Blade snorted, believing he was more concerned with Gaun and her little ooman pets than the _real_ Predators, "And I thought you had your priorities in order."

Nam spun around beat his chest, "And I plan to follow through with them. But first…"

He then chuckled darkly.

"Wonder if a preemptive invasion by a rival clan is a turn on for Merl'we?"

Razor Sword's body language suggested disbelief and the Elder suppressed a chuckle of Nam making light of the situation. Nam then cloaked and left the chamber, eager to find his belated object of his affections, shouting…

"I WILL FEED ALL OF YOU YOUR _BALLS_! COME AND _**FUCKIN'**_ GET ME YOU FUCKIN' TETCH'NA!"

(SSJNYH)

**Everyone at the settlement it seemed had regressed down to their baser instincts – the ones revolving around violence and sadism, both the clan's folk and the Bad Bloods of the Sinister Eye fight with blades, spears, plasma-weapons, their hands and even their mandibles. I saw why the Super Predators were immediately labelled outcasts in 'proper' Yautja society, if the remains of the females and pups they smeared over the walls, buildings and ground were evident enough.**

(SSJNYH)

Gaun and Shinji had approached the bridge way connecting the towards one of the settlement's structures built into the plateau to find it abandoned, with all the sounds of conflict and the horrific wailing and screaming coming solely from within the settlement, underneath the shadow of the Sinister Eye's Huntship.

"Come on!" Gaun exclaimed.

Shinji nodded, apprentice following master into the settlement, immediately finding themselves within travelling upward towards the main square…

(SSJNYH)

**I don't remember much of what happened en-route towards the square.**

**I…I remember…all this that happened last year, I tried to forget it…tried to hold it **_**all**_** in…**

**It was too painful…**

**I…**

M-Merl'we…  
…no…no…no…no…no…no…NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!

(SSJNYH)

…CLICK!

BEEP! BEEP BEEP…

"CURVED BLADE!"

She shoved him hard and he almost flew forward out of the way of the bomb…

**BEEEEEEEPPP!**

…the resulting explosion blowing her back and Shinji even more forward, collapsing part of the alley, separating mother and son from one another through a couple tons of rubble.

Gaun groaned beneath her mask, hand straightening it out a bit as she got up, hand reaching forward to feel the rubble in front of her past all the dust. She waved her arm in front of her face, trying to rid the dirt blocking her view. Once it clear she found herself standing in front of the Bad Blood responsible for setting the trap for both her and her pup…

"KAL'VAKIR!"

…and immediately begun thrusting her wristblades forward towards a larger, elder Super Predator Huntress that somewhat resembled her. Kal'Vakir snorted and blocked each of her blows with her arm-blade. Kal'Vakir then swung her left leg, hitting Gaun with her knee and knocking her against a building. She then drove her arm-blade forward, Gaun moving her head before the blade could impale her head, instead embedding itself into the wall.

Before she could move to hack the arm off, Kal'Vakir's multi-barrelled plasmacaster whirred and pointed at Gaun. The Huntress dodged left to avoid the first volley of blasts, narrowing missing each one before…

"RAAHH!"

…she shoulder charged Gal'Vakir, her shoulder-plating barely absorbing the force of another plasma blast before knocking Gal'Vakir against the wall, then pulling back to thrust her right wristblade through her head.

The elder Huntress then swung her leg up and…

"GA-AAAAH!"

…struck Gaun on her deltoid muscle with her knee, causing the smaller Huntress to collapse down one knee, she then reached down and tore the younger Huntress' mask off.

Gaun flexed her mandibles in anger up at her, receiving a loud, painful across the face that floored her. The Super Predator known as Kal'Vakir removed her mask to reveal the apex monstrosity she was.

"You don't look at your mother _that_ way."

(SSJNYH)

When Shinji came to coughing he remembered being pushed out of the way of the explosive by Gaun just before the force of the detonation threw him forward some feet, collapsing some parts of the alleyway and cutting him off from his Mother. He then felt his face and realised he wasn't wearing his mask, and sure enough he saw it lying some feet away.

The boy smiled painfully…

**Go forward!**

…and limped over towards it…

SHHHIINNNK!

…then moved to avoid an adolescent Sinister Eye Unblood that decloaked and extended his arm-blade. He then rolled to the side to avoid another blow, resting on one knee and angrily staring down the Unblood, whom judging from his body movement was fast becoming frustrated by him. Shinji eyed his mask and performed another roll, grabbing his mask just as the Unblood was about to strike him. He raised his left knee, knocking the Unblood's blade arm upwards then extending his wristblade and stabbing him underneath his arm pit.

He then pulled the blade out and kicked the adolescent enemy Unblood back, knocking him into the rubble caused by the earlier explosion. He then quickly fastened his mask back onto his face and reached for his nodachi's hilt just as the Unblood got back up, bleeding profusely from underneath his left armpit before going berserk and charging Shinji.

"RAARGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

With all his strength aided by the sharpness of the blade, Shinji swung the nodachi, downward vertically and proceeded to bifurcate the Sinister Eye Unblood, the top half toppling off the rest of the body and falling to the ground behind him. Shinji then stepped over towards the still panting torso half of the adolescent Unblood, his green coloured organs including his heart exposed and rolling out on the ground.

Shinji stared down at the body as it tried to lift itself up with his elbows and he hissed, revealing his canines, "SCRRRYYYYY…"

His mask's targeting tri-laser locked onto his head and his plasmacaster fired, blasting his skull in half. He then looked up to see an adult Sinister Eye Blooded, wearing a bronze mask, heavily tattooed across his arms and legs, dressed only in a loincloth charge at him, armed with a large blade resembling that of a machete. He swung wildly at the human, skimming pieces off the wall as he missed him.

Shinji snarled…

**I guess eight cycles here on the Homeworld has led to this moment.**

…and thrust his nodachi forward into the Bronze-Machete Predator's crotch and right through his testicles. The BMP froze, made a sound as if it held it's breath, then gripped his mask with his right hand and tore it off to reveal an insane looking face that Shinji mistook for a mutant's , not a normal Yautja's face. It opened it's mandibles in a ferocious bellow and raised it's left arm that gripped the machete.

Shinji twisted the nodachi and causing to choke from both pain and shock, then extended his wristblade and swung to slice open his neck. The BMP gargled on his own blood, then toppled over backwards as Shinji pulled his sword out.

The boy then continued hoofing it towards the main square, and found it to be a warzone. Predators, both of his clan and the Sinister Eye, locked in vicious melee; dead strewn about all over, most of whom had been taken by surprise as they hadn't had weapon equipped on their persons. Many of them were pups, and Shinji looked down at his feet in shock to see one of them lying before him, a spear through his back.

Rage bubbling inside him, he gritted his teeth and turned his attention back to the square, eyes bloodshot as he felt adrenaline surge through his barely pubescent frame. He gripped the spear stuck in the pup's back and pulled it out, green blood spurting up and hitting the side of Shinji's face. Shinji then let out a barely suppressed cry…

"RAARRGHH!"

…charging towards the square. As he neared it he paused, adopted a vaulter's pose and hurled the combistick forward, the machinations within the Bad Blood's spear compensating for his still developing physical strength to propel itself forward at maximum speed at a Bad Blood that was about to drive his arm blade into the back of a down opponent. When he turned his head to notice a singular ooman pup running towards him he received his own spear through his own forehead, piercing the steel mask and out the back of his skull, blood and brain matter spraying outward from his head.

Shinji then gripped his sword with both hands as another Bad Blood charged him. He was quick to take advantage of his smaller stature by swinging his sword up and severing the Bad Blood's leg's just below his knees, disabling him. He then continuing moving forward to intercept another full grown Bad Blood armed with a sword…

"RAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

…which was blindsided by Nam, who swung her arm blade and took off the Bad Blood's head, Shinji swerving his own head to the left to avoid it, then rolled to avoid the collapsing headless body. Nam then roared, reaching behind his back and extending a speargun and with one hand firing a spear through the neck of another Bad Blood.

"NAM!" Shinji cried when he saw a targeting laser rest on the back of his head.

The bigger Predator then spun around to face another Bad Blood standing on an elevated platform, plasmacaster primed. It then suddenly switched his target to Shinji. Nam growled as it fired and threw himself in front of Shinji, his heavy armour soaking the damage. His mask's targeter then zeroed in on the Bad Blood in return and lobbed a overcharged plasma burst that hurtled towards it. The Bad Blood's death was reminiscent of a balloon filled with green paint exploding.

Nam struggled to get back up as another Bad Blood charged him with a machete. It was Shinji's turn to stand between them but instead…

"AWK!"

…the frenzied Bad Blood swatted him aside and drove his machete through Nam's chest, just missing his heart and piercing a lung. Nam grabbed the Bad Blood's hand and slowly forced the machete's point out of his chest, before crushing the Bad Blood's hand. The Bad Blood then screeched in agony just as Shinji drove his nodachi through his gut and out the other end.

The Bad Blood fell down dead, while Nam went down on his knees, hand against the wound in his chest.

"NAM!" Shinji shouted for a second time as he rushed over to his side.

"They…they took her…into the apartments…"

"Don't move," Shinji cried desperately as he desperately looked around for something to use to stem the bleeding.

"Please…save _her_."

Shinji was about to tear his own loincloth off when he froze, "W-what?"

Nam then thrust his hand forward, grabbed Shinji by his neck and roughly pulled him forwards so that they were face to pained, angered and desperate face.

"SAVE _**HER**_! SAVE **MERL'WE**!"

Shinji's pupils diluted in fear when Gaun's voice regarding the Bad Blood's sounded off in his head once again…

Those thieving, pillaging, _**raping**_ outcasts.

**Merl'we!**

**M…Mother…where are you?**

(SSJNYH)

Gaun spat blood as Kal'Vakir punched her in the chest against the wall. The eldest Huntress retracted her fist and allowed her daughter to sink down onto her knees, holding her chest with her left arm and coughing painfully.

The hybrid stared up at her bearer, hatefully, "Is that _all_ you can do?"

Kal'Vakir allowed her to shakily stand up onto her feet, before punching her sharply between her legs in the crotch and eliciting a pained choke, causing her to fall back down, hands over her womanhood and tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she involuntarily moved in a fetal position. Her mother gave a heartless chuckle and knelt so that their heads were almost level.

"I did _that_," Kal'Vakir answered her.

Gaun coughed and slowly rolled her eyes up at her, "Why…don't you just…kill me? You…know how do _that_, right?"

"Kill? My own daughter?" Kal'Vakir asked. "Cho't! How heartless do you think I am? This is mercy, me only inflicting pain on you."

CRACK!

Gaun then lunged and grabbed her by the shoulders, head-butting her and forcing her back. She then stood back up, her pained tears now falling as she used the wall to support so that she didn't crumple up and fall back down.

Kal'Vakir grunted in discomfort as she rubbed her forehead. She then noted her half-breed's tears.

"Why shed tears of pain for that one useless, untouched part of your body?" Kal'Vakir taunted.

Gaun snarled. Kal'Vakir's smile only widened as far as her mandibles could manage.

"_I know_ no male in this clan has ever touched you, much less allowed you bear their pups," Kal'Vakir continued, clearly enjoying seeing her in physical and emotional pain. "Decades ago I watched you train for a whole week. You and that ooman zazin you took as a daughter, to compensate never having _real_ Yautja pups! What was her name?"

"_You_ don't speak of _her_!" Gaun exclaimed, limping forward with wristblades drawn.

"_**Yui**_, right? That's her real _ooman_ name?" Kal'Vakir was still smirking. "The infant _**YOU STOLE**_ from the oomans! Sei-i, _I know_. Did you rip her from her mother's arms, only to get her killed years later on those accursed islands you're so fond of just after she begun to bleed?"

**YOU DON'T SPEAK OF HER!**

**YOU DON'T SPEAK OF **_**MY**_** PUP!**

**YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!**

Gaun screamed…

"**YOU'RE** THE REASON I LOST HER! _YOU_ PUT ME THROUGH THAT HELL OF LEAVING HER BEHIND!"

…and threw herself at Kal'Vakir. Extending her arm blade Kal'Vakir parried her then slashed her across the face. Gaun snarled and thrust her wristblade through Kal'Vakir through the shoulder. The older Huntress grinned, embracing the pain, then grabbed her wrist just above her comp and twisted it. Gaun, however, refused to be downed a third time and swung her left leg, his knee cracking against her back.

Kal'Vakir stopped smiling and wailed in pain as they heard an audible crack of bone. Now appearing ferocious, the Bad Blood female Super Predator roared and grabbed Gaun's throat, lifting her up and choke-slamming her into the ground, cracking the pavement and bringing dust and pieces flying upward.

**Shinji…**

Now thoroughly beaten, Gaun could only stare up at her mother weakly, coughing blood up…

"S-Sh-Shin…"

…and trying to roll over so she could lift up. Kal'Vakir studied her curiously as she painfully tried to move, not caring about her own wounds.

"Shin-ji…" Kal'Vakir heard her daughter weakly mutter, no doubt deliriously.

Kal'Vakir frowned, "Is that _his_ name? Your latest ooman pet? You didn't steal _him_ from his bearer this time, did you?"

**Have to find him…have to keep him safe…**

The Super Predator Huntress watched her roll onto her front and trying to push herself up. Her strength gave out and she collapsed facing the direction she had last seen Shinji running. Kal'Vakir snorted and stopped over Gaun, then knelt in front of her and grasped her face, as if showing affection.

"I understand that desire to protect what you think are your pups Why do you think I fought so hard to keep you instead of letting your sire escape with you? He got away with you, sure, but that longing was still there," Kal'Vakir said, gently; dissonance from her earlier murderous actions towards Gaun. "And I still have that longing to protect you."

Gaun chuckled painfully, "You…"

She coughed.

"That…is hard to believe…"

"Not really," Kal'Vakir stated, almost sadly. "And just this once, I will make sure your uncle doesn't turn his malicious attentions towards your latest precious 'pup' once he's done with the more fertile females of this clan!"

Gaun became horrified, images already forming in her minds eyes regarding Shinji's imminent demise, and tried to struggle, but felt her strength and her consciousness beginning to fade. Kal'Vakir stood up and begun walking in Shinji's direction. She then paused and whirled around, hands on her hips.

"This is my favour to you, from mother to daughter; though you reject me, and between us bearers, though you've never really beared any_thing_. You're son pup live and you will no longer be the only half-breed in this clan!"

Her wristblade still extended, she reached towards Kal'Vakir, pure rage plastered on her face.

**I'll kill you…I'll kill you…I'll kill you…I'll kill you…I'll…**

She then collapsed, unconscious.

**Shinji…**

**Yui…**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji found himself breathing panicky in fright when he entered Merl'we apartment block and was greeted by the main hallway practically painted in green blood, the bodies of mostly females and their pups laid strewn about the place; stabbed, smashed, beaten and _worse_ done to many of them. Shinji gritted his teeth it dawned on him how horrific and far the rivalry between the Predators and their larger, more brutal cousins stretched.

He was brought back to his senses by a female's scream and his head shot up to see two Bad Blood's walking menacingly towards a naked mother clutching her infant pup and trying to crawl away amidst the blood and bodies. The Bad Blood cackled, murderous intent practically radiating off them.

Shinji would have none of that…

"HEY!"

…shouted to get their attention. Their heads shot up to see an ooman holding with both hands a large curved sword running towards them. They laughed at the sight, kicked the mother aside and extended their wristblades. Shinji snarled as the first of them howled and ran towards them. Shinji dipped is sword into the blood splattered on the floor, then swung it upward, sending blood flying into the eyepieces of the Bad Blood's mask, obscuring his vision.

The Bad Blood swung blindly at Shinji, who then thrust his sword forward into his chest. He then rammed himself into the Bad Blood causing him to fall over backward. Smiling darkly as he took advantage, he leapt up at the Super Predator as he felt, pushing himself off the hilt of his nodachi as it remained embedded in his foe's chest and projected himself at the next Bad Blood, completely caught by surprise by the mere ooman that had just killed his friend. Shinji shouted…

"SCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYY!"

…extending his wristblades and slashing the next Super Predator's neck, the blood on the floor spraying upwards as he landed. The Super Predator clutched his torn neck and fell to his knees, and just before he expired he felt himself robbed off his chakram, Shinji taking it from his side before going to retrieve his nodachi; pulling it out of that first Super Predator's chest.

The first, still alive…

"Im…impossible…" the Bad Blood hissed. "You're Pyode Amedha…"

Shinji snarled, his voice sounding sinister as it was synthesised by his mask, "_I'm_ not prey, Bad Blood!"

"You're not Predator…"

SCHLAAAAKKK!

Shinji rammed his nodachi through the Bad Blood's mouthpiece, silencing him for good. Shinji then took off further down the hallway, recalling where Merl'we's apartment was located. He felt a chill go down the back of his spine when he saw _another_ Bad Blood standing guard outside her door.

**I don't have time for **_**this**_**…**

His mask's targeter locked onto him and his chakram willed to life as he applied pressure to it. He then hurled it and it spun toward the Bad Blood just as he noticed him and his plasmacaster locked onto him. His head was soon sailing from his body as the chakram removed it above the neck, embedding itself against the far wall. Shinji ran past the body and punched the door's control, opening it and entering the apartment just as the Bad Blood's body felt to his knees, then onto his side.

(SSJNYH)

"MERL'WE! MERL'WE! ARE YOU HERE?"

At first Shinji was greeted by silence, suggesting that his older sister figure was not in the apartment. Then suddenly…

"GET OUT OF HERE! RUN!"

SMACK!

…followed by the sound of a heavy smack as hand made contact with face. Shinji through the living area, to see everything upturned and the corpse of another Bad Blood lying in the middle with his blood splattered all over, and into the bedroom…

"MERL'…we?"

…**.**

….  
….

The sight before him was enough to freeze him from shock, causing him to drop his nodachi as his mind struggled to comprehend the fact that the largest Super Predator he had laid eyes upon was naked save for his pauldrons and on top of…

…

…  
…

**NO!**

Shinji screamed, almost loud enough to break his own voice merely from his rage and lunged at Mal'Kafir, leaping off the nearest upturned piece of furniture and landing onto his back, having drawn his smaller tanto and begun stabbing him into his back.

"GET OFF HER!" Shinji shouted. "YOU _**FUCKING**_ BAD BLOOD!"

The Super Predator hollered and was forced off of Merl'we as he quickly stepped backward rammed himself into the nearest wall, crushing Shinji against it. Shinji cried and dropped the tanto, instead opting to tear the flesh of his neck off by biting it, drawing blood.

"PAUK! PAAUUUUUKKKK! HAC'KNIT! TETCH'NA! ELL-OSDE C'JIT! GET OFF ME!"

He then reached behind himself, grabbed Shinji by both sides of his body and tore him off himself, brought him over arm and driving his knee into his back…

"AWWWKKKKK!"

…then threw to the ground. Merl'we screamed angrily…

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

…and lunged at Mal'Kafir, only to get choke-slammed back onto her bed followed by a sharp punch across her face, blacking her left eye. He then turned his attention back to Shinji as he got back up, wristblade extended.

Mal'Kafir snarled angrily, "YOU LITTLE PAUK! YOUR _LITTLE_ KNIFE JUST SCARRED MY BACK!"

WHAMP!

Mal'Kafir punched him so hard he was sent flying across the room and hitting the other far wall. He then slid down it landing on his stomach, feeling one of his left ribs break.

"Ahhhh….ahhhh…M-Merl'we…!" Shinji cried out.

(SSJNYH)

**We were fucked and we knew it.**

**I couldn't do anything…**

(SSJNYH)

Mal'Kafir felt behind the back of neck and grimaced when he saw that he had drawn his blood with his teeth. "Ell-osde c'jit, you little Pyode Amedha scum! How dare you interrupt your better?"

Shinji tried to get back up, arms shaking under his own weight, "Me…Merl'we…where…?"

"That slut of a Lou-dte Kalei is still tied down! You haven't done anything to stop me! All you did was just delay me!" The Bad Blood stomped over towards him.

The Super Predator saw Shinji's nodachi on the floor and picked it up. He then examined the Japanese-styled blade, interested in the fact that his niece shared her father's interest in those ooman warriors from Earth's past. His attention was turned back to Shinji, who looked up at him, eyes filled with pure hatred.

Shinji spat spat blood.

"Y-you hurt her…I-I'll KILL YOU! KILL YOU!" Shinji shouted, trying to get back up.

Mal'Kafir chortled, "You can't kill me! Heh…and I won't kill you either. I'm just going to teach you and my bitch of a niece a lesson in respect!"

Shinji raised himself up enough so that he was on one knee, hands clenching into fists. Suddenly the Bad Blood put his foot down on his small frame that pinned him down roughly. Shinji gritted his teeth as he got angrier by the second. He then realised that the Bad Blood was holding his nodachi.

"What are y-you…?"

SHIIINNGGGGG!

Mal'Kafir's foot still on his back, he unsheathed the long sword, tossing the koshirae over his shoulder and examined it. The Bad Blood then traced the length of Shinji's scarred back and smirked.

"Here's one more to compliment all the others."

He then lowered his blade down to base of his neck, and drove the blade in. Not so much that it pierced the spine, but only the skin and muscle. Shinji couldn't hold back the scream as the Bad Blood sliced him down the length of his back, the pain and sliced flesh rendering him paralysed. He could hear Merl'we screaming in the background…

"LEAVE HIM ALONE! CUR…SHINJI! STOP! PLEASE STOP!"

Only when Merl'we begun to sob as she pleaded Mal'Kafir did stop, only when he had left a cut down the entire length of Shinji's back, blood immediately pouring down both sides and dripping onto the floor. Shinji gritted his teeth as he tried to hold back his own sobs, but he couldn't keep the tears falling.

"W-why? Why?" Shinji moaned.

He felt the Bad Blood's hand on the back of his head and lift him up so that they were eye level.

"Why _not_?" Mal'Kafir smiled, before letting delivering an uppercut to Shinji chest and letting him drop onto the floor, bleeding and struggling to breath.

Mal'Kafir then walked over towards Merl'we, grabbed her by her dreads, and forced her off the bed and towards him. Shinji struggled to lift himself back up but the pain from his body length gash stretching down his back was too much and he could only lift his head enough to see the Bad Blood frog march Merl'we towards him.

"Me…MERL'WE! **MERL'WE!**" Shinji screamed, tears welling in his eyes as the Bad Blood forced the naked and bleeding Merl'we onto her knees before him.

The colour in Merl'we body faded in terror, and she screamed in anguish. Merl'we's eyes met Shinji, tears welling in them as well.

She softly forced out, "Don't look Shinji…please…"

Mal'Kafir extended his left arm-blade and poised it to pierce Merl'we's shoulder, his right hand moving toward her breasts. He then looked Shinji dead on and smirked, enjoying himself in inflicting agony on the ooman and his Huntress prey.

"Experience **Hell**, faker."

He then drove his blade through her arm. Merl'we only grunted, refusing to scream out of defiance.

That defiance begun to fade when Shinji, however, screamed…

沈黙

_(Silence)_

(A/N: Imagine Shinji's seiyuu's horrific sounding scream from EoE just as Third Impact combined hits and you get the idea.)

(SSJNYH)

**I'm worthless…**

**I'm useless…**

**I'm no good to anyone…**

**I'm a failure…**

**I should have died back on Earth…**

**I should have let the Elder kill me…**

**I should have fallen off that cliff…**

**I should have drowned in the lake…**

**I should have let Nam kill me…**

**I should have been killed trying to earn my name…**

**I should have died saving Mana…**

**I should have died from fright seeing the Kainde Amedha again…**

**I should have let the 'Angel' kill me…**

**I should just lay here and die…**

…

**I'm so fucked up…**

**I can't do anything right…**

**I just cause people pain…**

**I'm scum. I shouldn't be alive.**

"Shinji? Please, please open your eyes. Please?!"

Realising he was lying on something soft, his whole chest covered in bandages, Shinji found himself returning to reality, upon opening his eyes as asked to he saw Mana's crying face hovering above his. Tears welled up in her eyes before she suddenly began sobbing on his chest. Shinji looked up and saw a thoroughly bruised and beaten Gaun standing above him, her mask off revealing two black eyes and a gash across the left side of her face. He then gritted his teeth when he felt Mana fists banging on his chest in grief, now angry with him.

"YOU BAKA! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! BAKA! YOU STUPID BAKA! STUPID BAKA! BAKA! BAKA! BAKAAAAA!" Tears were still pouring from her eyes as she wailed.

"Mana," Gaun hissed down at her.

Realising what she was doing she retracted her fists, looked into Shinji's eyes, then proceeded to cry her eyes out again, already sorry for laying her hands on him in her grief. Shinji felt himself tear up and embrace Mana, then looked up at Gaun. They briefly looked at each other, Shinji seeing tears well up in Gaun's eyes. The Huntress then fell to his knees at his bedside and collapsed over him, both Shinji and Mana borderline horrified to hear her trying to restrain her sobs.

Then she lifted her head up, and Shinji immediately reached over and hugged her around the neck.

"I-I'm s-sorry, Mother," Shinji sobbed into her shoulder. "I-I couldn't stop him…I-I couldn't s-save h-her…"

"No, no, shh-shh…" Gaun cooed into his ear, lifting herself up a bit and hugging him tightly to her chest. "I should have been there…I should've been the one protecting _you_…sochi-kun…"

She then choked back a sob.

"Please don't…" Shinji muttered. "_Mother_…"

Gaun's tears drizzled down her face as she felt her maternal instinct kick in. In spite of herself she smiled.

"The Healer says you will be soon well enough. We'll go see her, then," she whispered to him. "Pup."

And in spite of himself, he smiled back, "Sure."

Mana watched this whole think play out in front of her silently, still crying. But right now, she smiled as well.

(SSJNYH)

**My rib mended in no time, but my whole body became stiff from the slash stretching my entire back. It was another four days, the time it took for the Bad Bloods to finally leave the system, and before I could get out of before Merl'we still hadn't left hers…**

(SSJNYH)

At the medical pavilion Shinji sat on a bench while Gaun spoke to the healer M'kanosa – whom was dressed in a loose fitting brown healer's dress, just around the corner. Shinji sniffed and wiped his face, still feeling the tears drizzle from his eyes when he had heard Merl'we hadn't woken up yet.

Shinji didn't have to strain hard to overhear them.

"…that pig hac'knit practically tore her apart! But it will heal, mark my words. Luckily tests for venereal diseases came back negative. She's still under sedation at the moment."

M'kanosa then downcast her eyes, sadly.

"There's something else, is there?" Gaun wondered out loud.

The healer nodded, "Stemming from her injuries. But it's something only _I_ should tell her…"

"It would be better coming from me, I believe."

M'kanosa nodded, "Alright."

"Her womb was destroyed. She will _never_ have pups of her own."

"…"

Shinji wrapped his arms around his own head miserably as he begun to sob About a minute later Gaun walked off, M'kanosa watching her turn the corner, sadly; knowing Shinji had been sitting nearby without Gaun having announced it. She sighed and walked back into Merl'we's room. Gaun turned the corner and sat down right next to Shinji, and exhaled out her nostrils. Shinji was still wrapped in his own eyes, prompting Gaun to gently untangle him from himself.

"Shinji."

She studied the boy. He was still appeared a visible wreck: Still bruised in the face and heavily bandaged with numerous stitches all over his body beneath them.

"I-I don't know what I d-did wrong," Shinji was down on himself once again, tears starting to well. "I c-could have s-stopped _him_ from hurting Merl'we. I _fucked_ up so bad…"

He gritted his teeth and wiped his face, hands gripping the skin that wasn't bandaged just above his knees.

"I should have been stronger…I should be the one dying… "

"Don't."

Shinji felt Gaun's gentle hand on both side of his face turn his head towards her.

"Don't ever think 'I should have been stronger' or 'I should have died' or any of that ooman c'jit," Gaun said, holding him. "If you forever dwell on this one time you _really_ couldn't have done anything you, me, Merl'we, we will never truly get past this."

"But…"

"If you had tried to fight the Bad Blood any further he would have _killed_ you," Gaun continued. "Your death, Merl'we would have given up her fight for life almost immediately I would never put you leaving me and Mana behind me."

Gaun then downcast her eyes.

"I would live long enough for Mana to be able to survive on her own, then pray for the God of Death to take me to you," Gaun's tears begun tearing up again. "I would _finally_ never be alone again…"

**I don't ever want to be alone. I'd rather die!**

"M-mother…" Shinji wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "Why are you…?"

She touched forehead with him and closed her eyes, "Please don't ever say you should be dead again. You're worth more than you admit you realise. Not just to me, but to almost everyone who cares to know your name."

Shinji sobbed, "But Merl'we…"

Gaun then opened her eyes, no longer sad but instead feeling resolved. "Shinji…Curved Blade…"

Her grip on him tightened, alarming him forcing him to look up at her.

"It is not YOUR fault! If it's anyone's fault it's _MINE_…her, _my_ former apprentice! _I_ should have protected _her_, I should have protected _you. _I and I alone will be shouldering this as _my_ failure, not _yours! _You say you should have been stronger…"

She was gentle once again.

"You _are_ strong, sochi-kun."

Shinji's eyes widened with surprise.

"That strength kept you alive for so many years. You survived the Kainde Amedha, you survived living here, you survived the Arcturians, and you even survived the demon within the tombs! You just became stronger from surviving these past few days, and you will not stop becoming stronger as long as you have that will to survive."

Shinji's tears stopped flowing, now staring directly into Gaun's eyes.

"People, oomans mostly, will tell you your strength is unnatural as is your resolve, as well as what it took to gain them. Don't listen to anything they say. They will be put off, and jealous of you. They will say you are just compensating for whatever emptiness exists in your life; they will say you are trying too hard or it has all amounted to nothing. Do not listen to them. _**They don't know anything**_!"

She then growled, instilling determination within young Shinji.

"Don't let any of those tsundere lou-dte kalei proug'niks tell you otherwise. _**Strength, both the inner and physical kind, counts for A WHOLE LOT!"**_

(SSJNYH)

Mana peeked inside the room to find that Shinji was sitting next to Merl'we's bed, resting his forehead and shoulders on the side of it, asleep by her side. Mana looked at the two of them sadly.

She turned to Gaun, "I don't think Blade-kun's coming home with us tonight."

Gaun patted her shoulder, "He won't be going anywhere. Let's go."

Just as they turned to leave they were blocked by Nam, who still spored sported gauze, bandages and numerous stitches all over his body.

"Nam-san," Mana was happy to see him.

Nam smiled at her, "Mana."

He then turned to Gaun.

"Merl'we?"

Gaun crossed her arms and turned towards Merl'we's room, "She's still out."

"M'kanosa told me Curved Blade's back on his feet…"

"And sitting down right beside Merl'we," Gaun said.

Nam's mandibles widened slightly. He then downcast his eyes, almost sadly; then turned to leave.

"Nam?" Gaun was surprised to see him about face.

"Shinji deserves to sit by her side," Nam reasoned, surprisingly referring to Shinji by his ooman name. "At least he _tried_ to something."

"Nam? Nam!" Gaun called out to him. "Wait…"

She reached and grabbed him by the shoulder, gripping it tightly.

"Just what is Merl'we to you anyway?" Gaun asked. "I always thought she was just the first notch on the wall above your bed?"

Nam sighed, "She wasn't meant to be."

"Then why don't you face her?"

The clan's largest Hunter shook his head, "I…can't."

He then continued on his way. Gaun and Mana silently watched him leave. The former then sighed out her nostrils.

**Just what goes through that male's head?**

After they left outside the hospital Mana paused, bowed and her clenched her fists. Gaun stopped as well, and turned around…

"Mana?"

The girl looked determined, clenching her hands into fists, "I don't want to be called just 'Mana' anymore."

She then fell to her knees and prostrated herself before Gaun.

"Please train me, Gaun-sensei…Nyaka-de…"

(SSJNYH)

Two days later Shinji was still sitting by her side. Tired, hungry and beginning to smell ripe he yawned as he watched Gaun lie, seemingly never going to wake up ever again.

'Will you wake up sometime soon, Merl'we?' he thought. 'Are you just going to lie there for the rest of your life while the rest of us live theirs?'

Shinji sniffed.

'That's not fair. Not fair at all.'

He then got off his seat and begun kneeling before her bed, then red her arms and head on the side of it. He then closed his eyes and exhaled…

**I know my life hasn't gotten any better. I admit it's not right to hate. And I confess deep down it's wrong to kill. If I'm being punished for my hate and for killing…I can't help but hate everyone that has hurt me and I can't stop myself wanting to kill things…there are…creatures out there that I feel deserve to die, but please…just punish **_**me**_**, not my family.**

**Yes, I have family. A NEW family. People I know would send themselves to you for me, and I would send myself to you for them. Don't punish them for my failure as an ooman being. Don't punish them for my failure to protect them. They told me never to feel anything for anyone, knowing they would be taken from me at first opportunity. But I can't help it.**

**I never thought I would ever open myself up to anyone after my bearer died and my sire left me; I thought it would have been better to just crawl inside myself and never feel anything, just to spare myself the pain. But then I met Gaun…and I realised, I never wanted to be like that again. **

**I don't care if I have to feel pain if it means having her with me…with **_**all of**__**them **_**with me…**

**Mother, Mana, Nam, Merlwe…**_**I love them all so much**_**…**

"Curved B-Blade?" Merl'we started to regain consciousness, noticing the young human kneeling at her bedside, his head resting on his arms as they laid on her bed. "A-are you crying?"

"I'm trying to pray," Shinji muttered in annoyance.

Realisation kicked in and he raised his head, in disbelief that his friend had just woken up. Tears were trickling down his face as Merl'we achingly sat up.

"Ow…" Merl'we groaned and rubbed her neck, not noticing that Shinji had gone wide-eyed. "Fucking Bad Blood got me good, didn't he…?"

"MERL'WE!"

He practically scrambled forward and hugged her around the neck, rubbing her cheek against hers. Taken back, Merl'we couldn't keep the smile off her face. She then had to restrain a gasp when she felt the large bandaged wound on Shinji's back.

She felt her eyes water when it all came back to her.

"Y-you're hurt, pup."

Shinji closed his eyes, the tears down falling. He sobbed and fell over her chest, "It doesn't matter…"

He smiled.

"…you're _still_ here. All of you! You're _all_ still here."

"Yeah," Merl'we embraced him back, smiling once again. "We are."

(SSJNYH)

**Despite the smiles and assurance that we all got out with all our parts mostly intact…Merl'we changed.**

**We **_**all**_** did, no matter how hard we now try to hide it.**

* * *

Ki'cte - Enough

Gahn'tha-cte – Ruthless

Dha-viath - Disaster

_This chapter __**was**__ brutal, with some parts conveying the insanity both Shinji and Gaun go through. I don't think I can bring myself to write something like this ever again. I was recalling Shinji's mind breaking during End of Evangelion when writing this._

_Yeah, Gaun acted like the kind of mother Shinji desperately needed, though it appears she has issues of her own. Nam went through some character development as well. And Merl'we, just…poor Merl'we. I didn't enjoy writing those parts revolving around her, and I made sure there it was not descriptive, gratuitous or anything like that._

_So that's it. This is the last major flashback, __cross my heart__. Now you all know the reason why Shinji Curved Blade is the way he is…so much anger, sadness and appetite for violence within him._

_I originally planned to write another flashback chapter detailing what Shinji did BEFORE he and the rest of the expedition departed for Earth; but I'll think I'll save it for a __**quick**__ flashback before the Sixth Angel and Asuka's debut._

_Uh…I'll be honest, ever since I discovered TV Tropes (and a few uncomfortable fanfics I will decline to mention) I'm being trying to steer this fic into __**Deconstruction**__ territory, especially with regards to Crossovers and the whole 'Shinji becomes Badass' genre in NGE fan fiction. I mean normally in NGE crossovers, or even crossovers in general, the protagonist from one series life amongst characters from another series improves tenfold; they're amongst friends and become strong enough to solve problems when they return to where they come from. _

_In this fic, however, we've seen Shinji see, go through and even perform some pretty horrific things in order to become a __**little**__ bit badass. At least in canon he has never been physically abused, and apart from witnessing Yui disappear into EVA-01 didn't start seeing horrific things until __**after**__ he turned 14. With Gaun adopting him in the first place, turns out it's not quite because she saw the warrior in him, but because of her __**own**__ psychological issues._

_With Shinji talking about his preference for older woman, it's somewhat also meant to be a deconstruction. Throughout the flashback arc he does hang around girls and women most of the time and two of them are __**way**__ older, it's sure to stir feelings in him._

_And finally: with Gaun and Mana using Japanese suffixes, I believe I already pointed out their fondness for Japanese culture, and that Gaun's side of the family's affinity for hunting 'among those islands.'_

_Anyway, what do you think? About this chapter __**and**__ about my end notes?_


	25. Chapter 24: Face Off

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_A/N: Sorry I'm late. It's been a crappy last couple of months. I think my writing this chapter reflects it._

_I've just been playing Aliens: Colonial Marines…once again I AM DISAPPOINTED (the __**first**__ time with Alien vs. Predator(3) by Rebellion)! But it was good to know... _

_(SPOILERS) _

_...that Hicks survived after all. Even if it was a bit contrived._

(SSJNYH)

Chapter 24 – Face Off

(SSJNYH)

"It is too much of risk, to let _it_ live."

"Agreed. It should have been done the moment Captain Katsuragi took his mask off and revealed the scars on his cheeks."

The Black Monoliths once again were convening…

SEELE-01, "I had hoped that Ikari would be able to tame the Non-Human, to bring him back in line as what Scrolls dictated…"

He paused.

"…but he, alongside the other 'uncontrollable factors', are now becoming more trouble than they are worth."

SEELE-05, "Despite him defeating three Angels and advancing our Scenario?"

SEELE-04, "The manner of him defeating the Angels. His ruthlessness, his drive, his tact…"

SEELE-07, "…his will. It cannot be broken, no matter what we, or Ikari, could do to him."

SEELE-02, "Better that we be rid of him now then wait for him to gain the means to take complete control of NERV, turn on Ikari and completely derail the Scenario."

SEELE-08, "And who, pray tell, who grant him such means?"

SEELE-02, "Weyland and Yutani Corporations and their fledgling merger. Weyland II and Yutani seek to turn profits instead of striving towards complimenting humanity."

SEELE-09, "Why have we not eliminated Charles Bishop Weyland II and that ever mysterious woman known as Yutani? They should have been killed years ago when their respective corporations rivalled the remaining governments on Earth in terms of influence _and_ power?"

SEELE-01, "…_I_ tried, believe me. They somehow knew of our existence and took steps to avoid us. They _still_ take precautions. But that does not mean they can hope to counter every step we take from here on end."

SEELE-10, "So it is in agreement, then? We terminate the Non-Human, all xeno within Tokyo-03 and any corporate enforcers that get in our way. Then we procure the Fourth and Fifth Children in time for the completion dates of Evangelion Units 03 and 04. The Corporates hopes rest on the Ikari boy and his alien masters and once they are disposed of, Weyland-Yutani will eventually fold."

SEELE-01 sounded exasperated, "The Ikari boy is now henceforth to be referred to as Kasumi so as to not mistake him for Ikari's son.

SEELE-03, "Kasumi's death would render Unit 01 inoperable, as the soul that resides within it will only accept him as his pilot."

SEELE-02, "Incorrect. Yui Ikari remains dormant. It was not her that went berserk during Unit 01's maiden voyage and destroyed the 3rd Angel. It was Kasumi's rage that powered the machine, and ultimately suppressed her."

SEELE-01, "Have faith. Yui has now begun to stir. Just in time…"

Keel not sounded smug and sure of himself.

"…for her to step between Kasumi and what threatens to end his life. By the time she does, he will be _dead _however."

SEELE-13, "Let us make sure. Scramble the Self-Defence Force! Their target: Shinji Curved Blade."

SEELE-09, "What of EVA-01? After Kasumi is dead It will no longer function without the Un-Human?"

SEELE-01, "We have ways of making sure it will continue to serve our purpose. _WITHOUT_ Yui Ikari."

(SSJNYH)

"Aw…"

Shinji rubbed his aching head as he came to outside the crashed NERV VTOL, head resting on the asphalt of the road. He felt something warm, and realised it was blood; but was relieved that it was only a scratch. He suddenly became alarmed when he remembered…

**Mother, Misato, Mana, Rei!**

He then sat up to see Misato and Mana with their backs to him, both of them appearing dishevelled with Misato's jacket was removed and covering an unconscious Rei. Mana ran of towards where the VTOL's cockpit were and she shouted back at Misato just as Shinji's hearing returned to him amidst the sounds of cracking flames around the crashsite and gunfire spread across the entire city.

"…pilots dead, Misato-san. Control stick through chest."

"Shit. Right…I'm gonna go move Shinji. Keep an eye out for TRIDENT, alright?" Misato called back.

"But Ayanami-san, Gaun-sama?"

"They'll be fine, trust me."

Shinji groaned…

"SHINJI!"

…which Misato spun around and rushed towards Shinji, crouching down with her hands on his shoulders, obvious concern mixed with elation on her face. Shinji looked up into her eyes and she smiled widely, and he swore he could see moisture pooling up in the corner of her left eye.

"You alright, Shinji?"

"Except for the cut on my head? Sure," Shinji groaned. "I…ahh…"

Shinji quickly pushed Misato aside when he suddenly and unceremoniously vomited, falling onto his hands and knees. Misato quickly had her hand on his back and patted him gently.

**Yes, Mana. There **_**are**_** side effects to the adrenaline.**

Shinji wiped his mouth, then spat some more.

"G-gunfire! What's that gunfire?"

Misato looked up towards the city and grimaced, "Don't know! TRIDENT opened up with all barrels about two minutes ago!"

Shinji's eyes widened…

**Shit! Don't tell me the clan made their move **_**already**_**!**

(SSJNYH)

"Seriously, it's nothing personal."

BLAM!

"Oh wait…it was."

Private Akira Kanagawa had been the last in his platoon that had unceremoniously engaged the TRIDENT forces stationed around the building that Colonel Schaefer and Lt. Apone had taken over as their command post. It had supposed to have been a coordinated strike against the mercenaries that NERV had _illegally_ brought into Tokyo-03 to help with the rumoured 'xeno' problem. Now here his corpse was lying on the ground with a bullet through the back of his head, having been captured and subsequently killed execution style by the corporates.

Holmes grimaced and holstered his sidearm, JSSDF blood splattered on his armour. He looked around to see the other JSSDF corpses strewn around their killzone, Japan's finest having tried to launch a sneak attack on them but were picked up on the motion trackers and subsequently filled with holes. The Southern Fried Private let out a light 'urgh when he eyed the remains of a JSSDF soldier having being rendered in half by continuous light armour piercing rounds from the prototype pulse rifles.

_Report, Holmes._

Holmes tapped his earpiece.

"Situation under control, Colonel."

_So…Weyland's intel is still holding up…_

(SSJNYH)

"…but keep an eye out," Schaefer ordered from atop the roof, staring down at the street where the TRIDENT in this part of Tokyo-03 had successfully managed to fight off the JSSDF.

He then turned to Apone, double-checking his own pulse rifle.

"So any ideas whey they're rolling into Tokyo-03 to kill us all in _self-defence_?"

Apone shrugged, "Couldn't say for sure, sir. Weyland probably knows more, but try getting in touch with him _now_; communications leading outside the city are being jammed."

"Are we still in touch with the other squad?"

"Yes, sir," the communications tech nearby called out. "They report holding off the JSSDF on their ends as well."

Schaefer appeared mildly disturbed. This was testament to Japan declaring war on TRIDENT and Weyland-Yutani.

"Sir!" the tech exclaimed. "Squad Theta reports JSSDF moving towards NERV crash site."

Schaefer gritted his teeth, "Damn! How long?"

"Thirty seconds. Theta will be catch up to them another _sixty_."

"Hope Kasumi and Katsuragi can shake off their concussions long enough to hold em'off."

(SSJNYH)

Back at the crash site Gaun woke to conscious rather abruptly; up on her feet almost immediately before swaying slightly as she fought back the effects of her concussion. He rubbed her forehead, and realised her mask was off. She then looked down to see her mask lying on the ground, and put it back on.

**Eh?**

_**Oh…**_

She then realised she had been lying next to a still unconscious Rei Ayanami. She looked down sharply enough to almost sprain her neck as Rei's mere shape reminded her of the one precious thing she lost so long ago, that _she_ had been around the blue-haired girl's age when they had returned to Earth for Curved Blade's final Chiva…

…**where he would have gotten the mark if…**_**Mother**_**…had not appeared…**

"MOTHER!"

"GAUN-SAMA!"

She felt both Mana and Shinji's embrace, relieved that the two of them wwere ok. She became alarmed, however, when she could feel the desperate strength behind Shinji's embrace and deduced he had taken adrenaline, which should only be used by Yautja and no one else of any other species.

**Curved Blade, what have you done?**

Shinji groaned in pain as he let go of Gaun, exertion forcing him back down on one knee and a look of panic spread on his face.

"Shinji!" Misato exclaimed.

She then turned to Mana.

"What's wrong with him?"

Gaun and Mana looked at one other, the Huntress' latest appearance look of worry enough for the both of them.

"He…" Mana was about to explain when she looked ahead.

Misato and Gaun looked ahead to see an approaching squad of seven JSSDF approaching them. Misato eyes lit up with relief but she immediately became weary when she noticed their trigger-fingers appearing itchy. A few of the soldiers looked alarmed at the sight of Gaun and immediately pointed their rifles at her. Gaun snorted and stood up to face them, making sure to keep in between them and Shinji.

Shinji however, reached and grabbed Gaun's leg, making sure to keep the JSSDF in his line of sight.

"Captain Katsuragi!" the officer stepped forward. "Major Canna! We're ordered to escort you …"

He eyed Shinji, Gaun and Mana quite malevolently. This they didn't miss.

"…and those with you out of the city limits for debriefing."

Misato frowned, "Actually I prefer you escort us to the nearest emergency tramway back to NERV."

"Lying…."

On all fours Shinji seethed, wiping his mouth of the drool as gritted his teeth and glared dangerously over at Major Canna. Misato was alarmed at the sight of him, as if about to go berserk at any fleeting moment.

"What was that, kid?"

"You're lying," Shinji stated. "You're here to kill us."

Canna appeared indifferent, "What gave you that idea?"

"Your fingers are on the triggers," Shinji trailed off as he stood up shakily, the adrenaline figuratively surrounding him in a red haze. "And you don't _sound_ like you're here to rescue us."

Proving his point, Mana noticed Rei stir and moved to help her. The JSSDF pointed their rifles at her, Mana pausing and looking over at them alarmed. Misato cringed and reached for her sidearm but paused as well when the barrels trained on her as well. Gaun growled…

**Not at my pup's chosen.**

Canna glowered, "We're here to kill the freaks, not you Captain."

Misato glared, "They're with me, 'kay. You know better than to mess with NERV."

"Orders from _way_ up higher," Canna replied. "Now let us carry them out or…"

Shinji snarled loudly, causing all guns to be aimed at him. Mana quickly reached for her dagger and hurled it at the closest soldier, penetrating his left eye and brain, causing him to post-mortem reflexively hold the trigger on his rifle down and fire. The other JSSDF quickly levelled their guns at Mana, too late to realise that also on reflex Misato had drawn her USP and fired at them, hitting in the chest and shoulder and downing them.

"WHAT THE FU…?!"

Now it was Shinji's turn to strike. As Misato dove backward as the JSSDF aimed at her he lunged forward, grabbing one of the JSSDF Misato shot as he was about to full on his knes and using him as human shield as one of the JSSDF pointed his rifle at him but didn't fire on account of his comrade. Shinji then grabbed his meatshield's pistol and the soldier fired, hitting the meatshield in the chest and snuffing him, one of the bullet's passing through and nicking Shinji's left arm. Shinji then shot the soldier in the head.

Canna and the two other JSSDF now realised Shinji was attacking them. Misato levelled her pistol and fired upon them, downing them. The JSSDF officer screamed at Misato when he hit the ground…

"YOU FUCKIN' CUN…!"

…which was silenced when Shinji tossed his now dead meatshield aside, aimed his pistol between Canna's legs and fired.

"…"

Canna choked from the pain, then…

"ARWORGGHHHH!"

…he then cried out in agony, then almost choked again _this_ time from vomit, causing him to roll over so he can cough it out. Misato became horrified at the sight.

"S-SHINJI!" Misato exclaimed when she saw him point his handgun down at him.

Hands clutched where his genitals used to be, pained tears stream down his face as he stared up at Shinji.

"P…please...!" he whimpered. "Mercy…"

BLAM!

The officer's stuttering came to abrupt end as Shinji shot him in the head.

"Done," he said plainly.

Gaun watched all this unfold, in the span of about _ten_ seconds Shinji, Misato and Mana had decimated a squad of seven heavily armed ooman soldiers. And she was impressed.

Misato, however, felt nauseous at the sight of Shinji killing other human beings. Aliens, definitely no problem _there_. But other humans...

Criminals, Section 2. JSSDF. Rapists, thugs and mindless drones, sure; but still human beings.

"Misato!"

Shinji saw that Misato was almost going catatonic and shook her. She looked down at him quickly.

"Shinji?"

"We can't stay here!"

Misato narrowed her eyes, somehow feeling her resolves return to her. She grabbed one of the dead JSSDF's rifle and turned towards present company; consisting of four adolescent humans and one alien Huntress.

"Right. Let's go."

"Go…where, captain?" Rei mumbled slightly as she came to, Mana helping her up, coughing a bit; obviously suffered from minor internal injury. "Are we not supposed to wait for extraction by either NERV or...?"

"The SDF? Notice anything off, Ayanami?" Misato deadpanned, pointing at their corpses. "They're after _us_!"

Rei blinked, trying to find the logic in that, "Why?"

(SSJNYH)

Gendo frowned into his clasped hands as he watched the surveillance from the control room, Fuyutsuki standing close by.

"The Old Men now consider Kasumi to be a liability," Gendo simply stated. "They didn't count on him knowing how to utilize the AT Field to such an extent so quickly."

"To them he's an animal that cannot be tamed?" Kozo questioned.

Gendo was silent as he stared hard at Shinji's image, saying something that was muted before nodding to Misato and they proceed to walk away from the crash site, Mana stopping to grab her own rifle off the ground.

"Blunt. But Accurate," Gendo finally answered.

Kozo frowned, "You agree with them?"

He was met with silence.

**What terrifies you more about Curved Blade's death? That your son Shinji will die as well? Or without him there is no one else that can pilot EVA-01 and proceed with the Scenario?**

**And towards Yui?**

Gendo then spoke again, "They are taking what they perceive to be precautions…"

The main holographic projector displayed a wireframe of Tokyo-03, with yellow TRIDENT symbols indicating their positions on the map, and each of them were intercepting the beeping red dots, each representing the JSSDF. Kozo was starting to wonder how approximately 300 or so PMCs could lift a candle to the thousands strong JSSDF.

Suddenly the red dots paused, then slowly begun to withdraw towards the outer edges of Tokyo-03.

"…and so is Weyland-Yutani," Gendo finally finished.

(SSJNYH)

"…I repeat, pull…them _all_ back NOW!"

_Mr. Prime Minister? Are you alright, sir?_

"**DO IT!"**

The Prime Minister of Japan felt the TRIDENT mercenary's boot press his head further into the tiled floor of his office, another mercenary down on one knee and holding the phone close to his mouth. Garber stood nearby, a smoking silenced pistol in his hand. He briefly glimpsed at the door, having been kicked off it's hinges and it's hallway littered with dead security.

Garber smiled as the mercenary with the phone stepped away, "The Company thanks you for reconsidering Mr. Weyland and Ms. Yutani's proposal, Mr. Prime Minister."

The grey-haired sixty-something year old Japanese man gritted his teeth, "_They'll_ kill me for this! You can't defy the Committee…AWWKKK…"

He was cut off when the mercenary pinning him down applied even more pressure, causing him almost choke from the pain. Garber stopped smiling and walked menacingly towards the Prime Minister.

"How do you think _we're_ still alive?" Garber asked. "Alive…and ready to do a hell of lot _worse _to you and _every_one you know if you bend over for those old men again."

Garber raised his eyebrows at the merc and he took his foot of the Prime Minister. He scrambled and backed up against his desk.

"Still…" Garber was smiling again. "Happy to have to come to an agreement; now and into the foreseeable future."

The Weyland-Yutani rep and his TRIDENT muscle then turned and left where they came from; the busted in door that led into the Prime Minister's office.

"We'll be in touch, Mr. Prime Minister."

As soon as they were out of sight, the Prime Minster sat there against his desk, ignoring the pain in his neck in favour of shivering uncontrollably with fright; having decided the Company was worth fearing more than the Committee.

(SSJNYH)

"HEY…!"

Mask on, Mana pointed up at the building in front of them, her tech-vision picking up Nam and Merl'we on the roof. Shinji smiled and waved up to them, Misato and Rei appearing perplexed to see them waving seemingly at nothing until Misato strained her eyes to see the faint outlines of the Yautja's cloaked selves.

Her eyes lit up, "They're the friendly ones, right?"

Gaun turned to her and nodded. Suddenly the part of the building beneath Nam and Merl'we feet exploded in blue and both Predators were toppling downward, each narrowly managing to drive their blades into the side of the building and slow their descent to the ground, each jumping out of the way out of falling debris. They then leapt towards Shinji and the rest of their comrades.

"SHINJI! CATCH!"

Merl'we hurled Shinji's mask at him, he caught it and put it on. Just in time for six TRIDENT mercs to suddenly turn the corner, pulse rifles aimed at them.

"FRE…!"

The lead merc was cut off abruptly by a speartip striking him in the head with another force to separate it from the rest of the body and pin it to the far wall. Suddenly Mal'Kafir and Gal'Vakir…

"RAAAARGGHHHHH!"

…materialised above them, having just leapt from the building above them, blades drawn. In a span of ten seconds the two Bad Blood cut the mercs down, almost close to transforming the use of wrist and arm blades into an art form judging from the speed of their thrusts and swings coupled with their plasmacasters, splattering gore all over the area.

They then turned their attention Shinji and company, each dripping with blood and viscera, and each smirking knowing they had treated them to a free show of their abilities.

"See that!" Mal'Kafir growled.

He then focused entirely on Merl'we, sending a cold shiver through her.

"Much, much worse awaits you lot."

Nam growled and stood in front of Merl'we, shielding her from Mal'Kafir's view. Gaun stepped forward…

"You did not take us by surprise, Bad Bloods," Gaun said, confidently. "You stand before readied, experienced warriors, and each of us as a reason to see you dead this night."

Kal'Vakir chuckled, "Cute."

"You striplings should just concede this hunting ground to the Sinister Eye once and for all!" Mal'Kafir exclaimed. "Your clan, and the oomans it so regretfully took in, doesn't stand a chance against us."

Misato and Rei, unaccustomed to the dialect, just heard angry grunts, clicks and shout from both sides. It was Mana's turn to growl, gripping her assault rifle tightly.

"I won't let you talk that way about us! We're Predators, the same as you…"

And Misato felt inspired when Shinji spoke, despite not understanding what he was saying but the confidence in his voice worked just the same.

"…and we'll slay you just the same."

Mal'Kafir and Kal'Vakir then became unsettled by the determination radiating off the humans and the Yautja. Merl'we gripped the nodachi's koshirae tightly, ready to toss it at Shinji once the fighting started.

"You should look again, then," Gaun insisted darkly. "Then tell us if we don't stand a chance against you!"

The Twins then finally could see that they were outnumbered, and despite their combined strength and years in experience between them and three Predators and three humans; each armed to the teeth, they were outmatched.

Misato smirked…

**I get the feeling they just bit off more than they can chew.**

They glanced at each other…

CLICK!

…before Mal'Kafir threw down a smoke bomb, blanketing the entire area. Shinji gritted his teeth.

"NO! YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY _THIS_ TIME!"

…and threw himself against Kal'Vakir, knocking her down as Mal'Kafir ran as fast he could, cloaking device engaged. Nam and Merl'we taking off in pursuit.

"CURVED BLADE!"

Merl'we hurled Shinji his nodachi as she and Nam took in pursuit of Mal'Kafir. He drew it out of it's sheath in time in time to defend against Kal'Vakir's arm-blade.

(SSJNYH)

Mal'Kafir decloaked and took off his mask and stopped running briefly to look over his shoulder and glared at Merl'we; the Huntress instantly freezing in place. The Bad Blood smirked, the desired effected ascertained, put his mask back on and continue running.

"MERL'WE!"

The Huntress shook her head and growled.

**NO!**

**HE'S NOT GOING TO HAVE **_**THAT**_** KIND OF CONTROL OVER ME!**

However Merl'we found herself frozen in place, fear and horrific memories from a year ago preventing her from moving. She felt them dissipate when she felt Nam's familiar touch on her shoulder.

"MERL'WE! SNAP OUTTA HERE! THAT HAC'NIKT IS GETTING AWAY!"

"Wha…"

She shook her head.

"Yes! YES!"

"C'mon!" he exclaimed, grabbing her shoulder and indicating the building nearest to them. "We'll gain the drop on him!"

(SSJNYH)

The Bad Blood Huntress swung her left leg and swatted Shinji aside, immediately being hit by Misato as she fired her H&K at her. Kal'Vakir charged her and swung her arm-blade, Misato rolling to the side in a dodge and immediately by Shinji's side. Gaun was next to strike…

"RAAARGGGGGH!"

…rapidly thrusting her wristblade forward, Kal'Vakir blocking each jab with her arm-blade before lunging forwards and headbutting her daughter, causing her to stagger backward. Kal'Vakir then…retracted her arm-blade and opted to just punch Gaun across the face multiple time before grabbing her by the neck and slamming her onto the ground.

She then turned to face Misato, who fired at her with her sidearm, only managing to hit her shoulder-plating before running out of ammunition. Before Misato had the chance to grab her spare magazine Kal'Vakir grabbed her by the shoulder and squeezed hard enough for the human woman…

"HEY! ARGHH!"

…to scream as she felt like her bones were being crushed.

"MISATO-SAN!"

Mana charged with her dagger, but was immediately swatted aside, falling back on the ground but not knocked unconscious, so that she could reach for her assault rifle. Kal'Vakir turned her attention back to Misato, where she extended her arm-blade and launched a straight jab, who moved her head to the side to dodge the Bad Blood's blade nicking her cheek, before swinging her right leg and striking her hard across the face, knocking her mask off and making her lose her grip on her left arm. Misato then jabbed her left pointer and middle fingers into Kal'Vakir's right eye…

"AWORGH!"

…blood spurting out. Misato smirked…

"Enjoy _that_, you sick bitch?!"

She was answered with a heavy slap to the face that knocked her down, Kal'Vakir right hand covering her bleeding eye socket, left hand clenching and unclenching into a face. Her upper lip sustaining a cut, Misato spat blood and stood back up.

"That all you got?" Misato grinned as she reached down for her fallen sidearm. "You're supposed to the big bad man-hating huntress, right?"

She was immediately joined by Shinji, nodachi in hand, and Mana, her assault rifle ready. He spat blood into his hand, and growled.

"She asked you a question, _grandmother._"

"RAAAAARRGHHHHH!"

Gal'Vakir flew into a berserker rage and charged them. Mana held the trigger down on her rifle, the recoil causing her to inadvertently raise her rifle, the bullets sailing past Kal'Vakir until one skimmed past her forehead and damaging her dreads. Shinji charged and swung, Kal'Vakir blocking with her blade, before parrying then launching another straight jab with her left hand and knocking Shinji down flat.

**Frail!**

"SHINJI!" Misato cried.

Mana screamed and charged, intent on striking Kal'Vakir with her rifle, "PROUG'NIK!"

Kal'Vakir hissed, grabbed her rifle and smacked her down with a hard blow to the between the shoulder and the neck with it, paralysing her with both nerves and pain. Mana whimpered Shinji's name, tears rapidly welling in her eyes.

**Weak!**

"MANA!"

Misato reached for her sidearm, but…

**Pitiful!**

THWACK!

…was clubbed down as well. Shinji tried getting back up, but felt Kal'Vakir's foot pin him down.

Déjà vu.

**I am surrounded by weaklings!**

Shinji gritted his teeth hard. Gaun struggled back onto her feet and hissed as she dragged herself towards her mother, wristblades drawn…

"You wanted…ME, remember?!" Gaun stated, angrily.

Kal'Vakir frowned, no longer feeling the pain of her destroyed eye.

"Why do you surround yourself with such frail, weak amedha?" Kal'Vakir asked, stepping off Shinji and striding arrogantly towards Gaun. "You shame yourself befriending what you should be hunting?"

Gaun sniffed, "If you call that shame…"

She grunted as she popped her left arm back into it's socket.

"…then you shamed _yourself_ _first_ when you abducted my father. In more ways than ever you have no right to dictate what counts as honour, or shame."

She glared.

"I never wanted to think that there was a difference between the Yautja and the supposed 'Super Predators,' but I can see it before me: You can't help but dishonour yourselves...and you all revel in it!"

Gaun then appeared solemn.

"Why?"

…

Kal'Vakir snorted, "Because we _can_."

**Does there **_**have**_** to be a reason 'why'?**

"We have the strength, why _not_?"

Gaun sighed, "And that's why I will never think you as my mother! The same way sochi-kun does not think of his sire as father!"

**Sochi-**_**kun**_**? A human suffix!**

**You are truly lost, **_**daughter**_**!**

"No, YOU are lost!"

Kal'Vakir suppressed a cry of surprise, for a moment believing that Gaun had just read her mind.

"I never wanted it all to end this way, daughter."

Gaun spat blood out on the ground next to Kal'Vakir's left foot at that statement, all the while fighting to keep conscious on her feet. Kal'Vakir stepped menacingly towards Gaun, blade extended as far as it could go.

"The same way I never wanted it to end between me and your sire," the elder Yautja continued. "The only male I admit to having _some_ semblance of affection for."

The daughter chuckled darkly, "That's…a laugh…"

She then growled, and smirked.

"_What do Bad Bloods pass for affection anyway besides pain and violation?"_

The Bad Blood Huntress' eyes widened, when she thought she saw perfect mirror image of Gaun'Thwei standing defiant before her, cradling a newborn Gaun in his arms. And those words…

**The same words he said to me…**

Kal'Vakir bellowed angrily and charged at Gaun, who just stood her ground as if having accepted her fate and just stared hatefully at it head on. She then stretched her arms outwards as if ready to embrace and let out her own defiant, hateful roar to the heavens…

(SSJNYH)

…which was joined by the monstrous roar of EVA-01, eyes blazing red as it stood up by itself, jaw clamps tearing off as it cried havoc; enough to vibrate the very earth itself upon it's sudden reactivation…

**MOTHER!**

SHINJI!

(SSJNYH)

…which didn't go unnoticed by NERV, judging from all the terrified faces back at the Mt. Fugo station.

"E-EVA-01'S SYSTEMS FUNCTIONAL!" Makato cried.

"What?" Ritsuko cried. "That's not possible!"

Her eyes then widened….

'Unless…o-of course…'

…then she then a cold shiver run down her spine, fully aware of the implications…

(SSJNYH)

…the same went for Gendo, staring at the main screen, eyebrows raised and mouth open when he realised…

"Yui…"

Kozo looked down at the Commander.

"Ikari?"

"It was by will alone that the Third Child was about to move EVA-01. It was his will that kept Yui from taking control," Gendo said. "Now that he is not within the Evangelion…"

He smiled lightly, Kozo feeling a tad unnerved by it.

"…Yui can finally start to play her part."

(SSJNYH)

EVA-01 flexed it's arms to the side as it continued to roar into then night sky. It then took of down the remainder of Mt. Fugo, running towards the river that separated the city and the mountain. EVA-01 then proceeded to _run across _the water towards the buildings.

Kal'Vakir froze just the continued roaring coupled with the sounds of gigantic footsteps rapidly approaching their position. Shinji had just managed to get back up, and as he helped Mana back up on her feet they were immediately confronted by EVA-01 standing before them all, having clipped several buildings on the way over and was staring bloody murder down at them. Or more accurately, at Kal'Vakir.

The Huntress stared up, pupils shrinking when she realised that she was staring death itself in the face. No way would this ever be considered a good death.

It would prove so. Kal'Vakir defence was laughable as EVA-01 swung it's left arm and grabbed the Huntress in one fell swoop, bringing it up to eye level. Kal'Vakir glared back at the God Machine, her eyes trying to match the hatred she could see in it's eyes.

"What…are you waiting FOR?!" Kal'Vakir bellowed angrily. "HATE ME? THEN KILL _ME_ YOU…"

She became silent.

"…you…?"

The intensity in EVA-01's eyes once again reminding her of yet another past opponent. One she thought she had killed. The death that had brought her disgrace of a daughter down.

The death…the Kal'Vakir realised, wasn't really a death after all.

"Straight Blade?"

"RAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOORGGGGGGGGG GHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

**DIE BAD BLOOD TETCH'NA!**

And with that mighty roar EVA-01 bent over and it's mighty armoured fist descended on Kal'Vakir with the forge of a meteorite. Kal'Vakir let out one final roar before silenced amidst the sounds of impact at EVA-01's fist created a small crater in the middle of the road. And when it retracted it's fist, there was nothing but the pulped remains of Kal'Vakir.

Shinji gritted his teeth as he stared incredulously as the death machine he previously believed could only operate only when he was in the plugsuit. EVA-01 then stared at the blood on it's knuckles, tilting it's head in curiosity. It then turned around to face Shinji and company, causing tremors in the ground. It looked down at the group, and Shinji could sense that it was focusing on him.

EVA-01 then got down on one knee and moved it's left hand towards them. The boy found himself instinctively stepping in front of Misato and Mana, glaring up at EVA-01 with his wristblade extended.

_**My**_** Shinji…**

It opened it's palm as if to grab Shinji, only stopping when Gaun, despite being heavily battered, stepped between him and it, her body language suggesting barely restrained aggression ready to be unleashed towards it at a moment's notice. EVA-01 retracted it's hand, backed away and froze…

**Mother.**

All eyes watched, amazed, as EVA-01 suddenly and gently got down one knee and bowed it's head. Gaun took her mask off. Shinji and Mana shifted his view between Gaun and EVA-01 in astonishment…

**Nyaka-de.**

(SSJNYH)

Nam and Merl'we hadn't gone far in pursuit of Nam, having forgot about him stopped to watch the spectacle unfolding before them, equally astonished.

"Well, fuck me sideways…" Nam muttered at the sight. "The mere sight of her brings a paya itself down on it's knees."

Merl'we looked down to see Mal'Kafir continuing to retreat, and felt tempted to pursue him. But suddenly she felt…cold.

**F-fear?**

**I'm scared. Scared to face him again...**

She bowed her head, in sadness.

**Sorry, Curved Blade. You're on your own.**

She then felt Nam's hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see him nod towards her.

"Curved Blade will fell the tetch'na, fear not."

He then growled.

"He has to. His master brought a god down on it's knees! He's gonna have to best _that_ somehow."

(SSJNYH)

Weyland smirked as he watched the screen…

**So you're still in there, Mrs. Ikari?**

(SSJNYH)

Schaefer and Apone were only at least a dozen blocks away, and could only just briefly make out Kal'Vakir in EVA-01 grip before being reduced to pavement pizza.

"Holmes?" Schaefer said into his headset com.

_Yes, sir?_

"Trackers?"

_Dozens of 'em picked up! But they're just…standing __**there**__,_ doin' nothin'!"

"So are we," Schaefer announced. "I hate myself for saying this, but now…"

He focused on EVA-01.

"…we just enjoy the show."

(SSJNYH)

Kozo thought he saw Gendo briefly flustered at the sight of EVA-01 paying reverence to the Huntress. The old man then stared at the screen himself and narrowed his eyes.

**So…the rumours were true after all.**

"Yui."

Gendo forced out his _late_ wife's name through suddenly gritted teeth when he thought the scar on his cheek where Shinji tore open begun to ache considerably.

"FORCE SHUT DOWN EVA-01 **IMMEDIATELY**!"

He sounded angry…

(SSJNYH)

…which Ritsuko didn't miss as her team at Mt. Fugo scrambled in transmitting the shutdown codes to EVA-01. Ritsuko found herself instinctively biting her left thumbnail as she stared at EVA-01projected on Maya's terminal screen.

"Senpai?"

Ritsuko turned to see Maya looking back at her worriedly.

"Lieutenant," she acknowledged her.

(SSJNYH)

EVA-01's eyes then dimmed at it shut down, leaving it in it's current prostrated position before the Shinji, Gaun and Mana. Shinji turned to his mother, confusion all over his face.

"Why?" Shinji asked her.

Gaun put her mask back on, then turned to Shinji and shook her head.

"I do not know."

Shinji then looked over at Misato, with Mana already tending to her while Rei watched, quietly. The girl looked up at the boy.

"She lives," Rei said.

Shinji nodded, then put an arm on her injured shoulder. Rei winced a bit.

"_I'll_ live."

The boy smiled, the caressed the left side of her face affectionately. He then knelt beside Mana, running a hand over Misato's forehead.

"Take care of her, please," Shinji said.

Mana nodded, "I will Blade-d…"

She smiled.

"Blade-kun."

Her eyes widened and blushed when Shinji suddenly embraced her.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For everything."

She then felt dread at those words, as if implying he would not return. Shinji let go of her and she continued to stare ahead, shocked at the prospect of losing the boy she loved, but knew she would never have. She looked down at the woman who had somehow became the centre of his affections without even trying.

Shinji stepped over to Gaun.

"Mother. Take care of _them_."

Gaun stared at her pup, Shinji knew that she was afraid for him. If she weren't wearing her mask he would see she appear stoic, but he _knew_ she was afraid for him. She bowed her head, acknowledging his request.

"Go and restore our clan's honour, Curved Blade," Gaun said.

Shinji growled, putting his mask back on. He then drew his nodachi and left the shop's wreckage; leaving Mana, Misato and Rei under Gaun's care. Both the albino and the Huntress watched Shinji leave their sights, before looking back down on Misato's still, unconscious form.

Rei was quietly and almost serenely attentive as Gaun extended one of her wristblades and drew it across the palm of her left hand, drawing her glowing green blood. She then retracted her wristblade and with her left hand she gently open Misato's mouth. She then raised her cut right hand over Misato's mouth and clenched it into a fist, letting a few drops of blood fall into her mouth. She then pulled her hand back, not wanting to overdo the legendary effects of the consumption of Yautja blood.

**After this day you deserve to be happy, Curved Blade.**

Gaun looked at Misato quietly, realising that Rei had been watching all this time. She turned to face her, eyes widening slightly behind her mask as she tried to fight back the maternal instinct to embrace the ooman girl as if she were her long lost daughter.

**Her eyes...**

She then frowned, appearing disgusted at the sight of her; knowing she couldn't see her face.

**They're the same as Bardiel's, the Body Stealer.**

**She has Straight Blade's form. She is an **_**abomination**_**…**

"_You're _not_ Yui," _Gaun said to Rei, sternly.

The albino simply blinked, unfamiliar with her language and therefore not knowing how she should respond. She then put a hand to her cheek, still feeling tingly from Shinji's touch.

Gaun harrumphed at the sight.

_**Savour**_** it. Curved Blade will **_**never**_** touch you like that again.**

(SSJNYH)

Clinging to the side of a building, Mal'Kafir hissed as he scanned the city below him for Shinji. He briefly glared over at the massive purple behemoth that had had just witnessed deliver the mother of all pile drivers to his twin sister.

**I'll deal with the Paya Amedha once I've skinned that little pretender. **_**Him**_,** the Paya Amedha…**

He then growled.

…**then Bardiel. Violate the Sinister Eye's burial ground, will he? Use my sire's rotting corpse as a puppet, he did!**

His Predtech vision detected a cloaked Shinji below him making his way toward an alleyway. Curved Blade paused, as if sensing where he was, spinning around to glance up at him. Mal'Kafir snarled and targeted him, then opened up with the plasma.

"SCRRRYYYY!"

Shinji let his war cry, drew his nodachi and swung, striking the plasma; the resulting concussion sending him flying backward into the alley. Mal'Kafir rapidly made his way from the side of the building he had clung to, catching himself on ledges, windowsills and finally a street light before touching the ground, crushing the asphalt underneath him.

Mal'Kafir grinned when he saw through thermal vision Shinji lying on his stomach in the alleyway, unmoving. Drawing his arm-blade he stepped over menacingly towards him, where he extended his arm blade _another_ foot in length, intent on ripping his spine right out of and showing it to his raven-haired woman, that was before he would did whatever he wanted to her. Her, and that brownish-red haired ooman female pretender

All right in front of his niece. He felt himself beginning to shiver with anticipation.

He stepped into the alley, Shinji's body laid a drew feet away.

"You're mine now, Pyode Amedha Tetchna," Mal'Kafir growled at the supposedly unconscious human.

BEEP!

The sound of distant whooshing air was heard and two spears hit him in the chest, forcing him to stagger back. Shinji suddenly rolled over and sat up, revealing his left pointer finger against his right wrist-comp.

Mal'Kafir, snarled and pulled the spearheads out his chest. Shinji then grabbed Misato's handgun holstered on his pelt and fired, emptying the clip into his chest, two of three shots managing to hit flesh instead of his armour. Mal'Kafir spat out blood into his mask before toppling backwards onto his ass. Shinji then got up onto his feet and run, clutching his chest.

(SSJNYH)

**Pauk, that hurts! Should've placed another couple spear-guns! That would've knocked him down the **_**first**_** time! But I only had as much as I could carry in my backpack yesterday…**

…**yeah…what'd you think I was doing for ten minutes before catching the tram to NERV with Ayanami? Anything but set up my own little killzone?**

Running past a dumpster he looked over a shoulder to see Mal'Kafir getting up, tearing his mask off in order to spit green blood onto the ground. In rage he gripped his mask enough to crack it and tore his pauldrons off himself.

"YOU DECEIFUL LITTLE C'JIT!" he screamed. "_ONE_ LITTLE TRAP WON'T STOP ME!"

Putting his mask back on Mal'Kafir then took off in a sprint after Shinji, to activating his cloaking device. Shinji pushed another button on his wrist-comp and a produced a holographic display of the alleyway they were currently running down.

Shinji snarled…

**How about an alley FULL of traps?!**

…and pushed what appeared to be a representation of the dumpster and Mal'Kafir about to run past it. And this triggered the charge placed strategically behind it. The resulting explosion projected it forward and before Mal'Kafir had the chance to act he was crushed against the opposite wall, shattering his wrist-technology and decloaking him H coughed up more blood that pooled up in his mask.

Pinned against the wall, Mal'Kafir bellowed in frustration, "PAUK! COWARD!"

Shinji stopped running and turned around to face him, shaking his head.

"Wrong!" he shouted back. "I'm playing by your _rules_!"

Mal'Kafir pushed the dumpster off himself and dropped to the ground, leaving a body sized indention in the wall. He quickly got up, coughed some more and staggered forward then shook his head. He then roared and continued pursuing him. Through his Predtech vision he spotted a device attached to a man-hole grill he was about to run over. He targeter locked onto it and fired, destroying the grill. But what he thought had been a bomb didn't go off.

'What?' he thought, alarmed as the resulting smoke obscured his vision.

"RAAARGHHH!"

The distraction allowed Shinji to quickly spin around and swing his nodachi, striking his across the chest; piercing armour and nicking the skin underneath. Mal'Kafir swung his arm-blade, Shinji swerving to avoid but was still slashed across the hip, scraping some of his plugsuit off and drawing blood. Shinji gritted his teeth and shoulder charged Mal'Kafir, knocking him back and disorienting him.

"FUCK YOU!" Shinji screamed, swinging a right hook and nailing Mal'Kafir in the throat, hard.

Mal'Kafir briefly choked when he thought his Adam's apple had been dislodged, then Shinji duck out of the way of his attempted counter, pushing a button on his wrist-comp and two more spearheads embedded themselves in Mal'Kafir chest. The Bad Blood let out another frustrated roar, then saw ahead where Shinji had positioned the remote-fired Spearguns that had been covering the alley he had chased Shinji down.

"I didn't…take you for a ch…!"

"Tactics!" Shinji interrupted him.

Mal'Kafir homed in on him through the smoke and spun around to confront him, only to see the ooman with his plasmacaster primed and his tri-targeter aimed at his chest. Shinji then blasted Mal'Kafir at point-blank range, burning through his armour and leaving a massive scorch mark on his chest. The Bad Blood staggered back…

"Pathetic…you're pathetic…"

Mal'Kafir coughed, chuckled, then coughed some more.

"Should've aimed for the HEAD!"

The Bad Blood lunged forward, swinging his blade with Shinji managed to counter, gripping the handle tightly so as to not have it fly out of his hands. Though he had manage to surprise his opponent and weaken him considerably, Mal'Kafir still had the advantage of strength, size and speed, last of which Shinji just realised as he struggled to counter Mal'Kafir blow by blow.

'Misato…' Shinji thought.

(SSJNYH)

Misato though she tasted blood when she abruptly came to, realising that her head had been lying in Mana's lap.

"MISATO-SAN!" Mana cried.

"SHINJI!"

She looked around frantically for the boy, then rubbed the back of her head as the disorientation caught up.

"Captain Katsuragi?"

"Rei?"

She turned around to see the albino and Gaun. The younger looking alien female and the large male brute was nowhere to be found. EVA-01 was standing in the distance before what appeared to be a small crater, greenish blood smeared across it's wrists.

Misato felt her vest. He gun was missing.

"Blade-kun took it," Mana said.

"What?" Misato cried.

"He went off to lure the male xeno away from us, captain," Rei explained, pointing where Shinji had ran off to.

"What?"

Misato's eyes followed where Rei was pointing. She then took off, Gaun watching her intently…

"HEY!" Mana cried. "Where…?"

"GOTTA FIND SHINJI!" Misato called back.

"But…"

Mana looked ready to follow her, only to be stopped by Gaun's hand on her shoulder.

"Why?" Mana shouted at her, frustrated.

Gaun frowned…

**It's for **_**both**_** of them**

(SSJNYH)

CLANG!

"YOU LITTLE PRETENDING C'JIT!"

CLANK!

"WHEN I'M…"

CLING!

"DONE SKINNING YOU I'M…"

CLANK!

"…SEE TO THAT PIECE OF OOMAN PROUJ'NIK..."

"SCRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYY!"

After a minute of countering and parrying each other strikes amidst Mal'Kafir repeated insults, Shinji snapped, roared and swung his nodachi, slashing him across the forehead. The Bad Blood stepped back in time to not have the top half of his head lopped off, smirking as he did. It then faded when the blood still spilt seeped into his eyes, blinding him.

Shinji then extended his wristblade and lunged forward, swinging towards the left side of his skull. Mal'Kafir exclaimed in pain when Shinji slashed his left eye right out of his skull. Shinji then reared his right foot back and brought it between Mal'Kafir legs, giving him _two_ mighty bursts of agony.

Mal'Kafir stumbled back, wiping the blood from his eyes to see Shinji standing some feet away, panting and seething angrily behind his mask, him hunched over as he felt his

"W-wh-what the pauk…was _that_?!"

"Playing by _your_ rules, _**remember**_?" Curved Blade sneered. "You're not _allowed_ to complain!"

He then gave a frustrated yell as he tore his mask; revealing bloodshot rage-filled orbs. He followed by ripping the plasmacaster off his shoulder, dropping it to the ground; then unhooking his koshirae from his back, gripping it and drawing his nodachi out. He then let the koshirae drop to the ground and advanced menacingly towards Mal'Kafir, who shook as he struggled to stand up on one leg.

"You said you'd to go after _my __**Promised**_ once you've skinned me?" Curved Blade ranted, gritting his teeth as he didn't bother to contain his anger. "I don't feel bad about softening you up anymore! I'm not giving you even a chance to live, much less land a single hit on me!"

He then smirked angrily.

"To _**fuck**_ with honour!"

Mal'Kafir screamed as he threw him at Shinji, swinging his arm-blade.

"FUCKIN' CHEATER!"

SWISH! _**SLATCHHH!**_

Curved Blade relieved Mal'Kafir of his left arm and it's length-sized blade.

"_You_ cheated _**first**_!" Shinji snarled.

And then swung again…

"You made me _watch_!"

…slashing him across the chest, splattering blood all over the asphalt. He then cracked his neck to the side and swung again…

"I sleep…"

…slashing him again, forming a large cross on his chest. Mal'Kafir wailed up towards the sky, hopping pitifully on one leg.

"You…I always see you…waiting for me…"

He then thrust his sword and skewered Mal'Kafir through the gut.

"…you…and Merl'we…in my mind…_**IN MY MIND**_!"

Curved Blade gripped the hilt tightly and shakily, gritting his teeth hard enough to draw blood from his gums. He then pulled his sword out, more green blood spurting out all over. He then swung again and sliced off his right leg, his torso falling onto the asphalt amidst a rapidly expanding puddle of blood. Curved Blade raised his sword and Mal'Kafir snarled and thrust his hand towards his throat just as Curved Blade brought the sword down, splitting it in half reminiscent of a lumberjack chopping wood with an axe.

Warn green blood splashed all over Curved Blade's face as he smiled viciously down at his stricken opponent. It faded, however, when all he could see in Mal'Kafir's eyes was defiance.

"The fuck you were smiling about?" Mal'Kafir growled up at him. "Thought I would start fearing for my life now you've beaten me."

Mal'Kafir reduced to a torso now smiling up at Shinji made for morbid fascination.

The Bad Blood coughed blood up, "There is _no_ honour in this…Hunt anymore! When they let…_**prey**_ like you…join our ranks…"

Shinji thought he felt something burst in his brain at those words. His left eye twitched involuntary.

"Not…" he muttered absently. "N-not…"

"Not a Hunter!" Mal'Kafir finished for him, gleefully. "You're the same ooman that watched me fuck your caretaker just last year! You…you have killed me, and you may kill even more of my people right up to when you're are too feeble _**too**_ early to hold a weapon, you're still ooman. Not f-fragile…"

He coughed some more.

"…but still **OOMAN**!"

Shinji gritted his teeth tightly….

…then relaxed, closing his eyes and taking gentle breathes.

"Right. You…are right…"

Shinji opened his eyes, staring down at a surprised Bad Blood.

"I still ooman…"

He then narrowed his eyes.

"…you still hurt Merl'we…"

He gripped his sword.

"…you still threaten Misato…"

He stood above the Bad Blood.

"…so I **still** _kill_ you!"

He rambled on almost incoherently. He then drove the nodachi through Mal'Kafir chest, taking care not to pierce anything _too_ vital. Curved Blade wrapped his hands around the Bad Blood's throat, making sure to dig his thumbs into it enough to crack the skin and make him bleed grin.

"I…felt….like…this…" Shinji grounded out. "Helpless…not doing anything…"

Mal'Kafir thrashed his bloodied stumps as Curved Blade strangled what life was left in his body, gnashing his teeth in rage as he stared into the Bad Blood's remaining; which no longer were filled with sadistic glee, but instead with horror. Horror towards the supposedly weak ooman that had just accepted what he was, his resolve truly unshakable.

"I'm not…true hunter? I…kill you…" Curved Blade made out through his rage. "…just…die…'

SPLATCH!

Blood spurted onto his face as his thumbs broke through into his neck. Mal'Kafir convulsed violently enough for Curved Blade to let go out of him and let out a hoarse scream. Curved Blade snarled…

"Just…_FUCKING_…"

…grabbed his nodachi, stood up…

"…**DIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE**."

And forcing out his last word to his hated foe he drove the business end of the sword through Mal'Kafir's left eye through his head and into the brain, silencing him. One twist of the blade, and he was finally dead. Curved Blade pulled his nodachi out, then spat on the corpse…

"You shouldn't…have mentioned Misato…"

…then Shinji collapsed onto his behind, covered in green and red. He looked at his hands, as if for the first time he had realised what he had done, what he had been doing ever since he first picked up a blade. Or more accurately, he had just woken up from a horrific eight-year long nightmare; only to find out that it wasn't.

Tears welled up in his eyes, he then gripped the back of his head and proceeded to sob, collapsing on his knees before Mal'Kafir shattered corpse.

"This isn't…me," he muttered pathetically to himself in a way that it disgusted himself. "This…this isn't me!"

**It is.**

Shinji paused when he thought he heard a voice in his head. _His_ voice. His normally dark, determined, stoic tone of voice.

**Welcome back, **_**Shinji Ikari**_**.**

"W-what?"

**You've been gone for a long time.**

"C-Curved Blade?"

**Who else? I'm so much better than you ever would have been…**

He covered his mouth as he fought to keep the bile down.

…**and the people reading this have to agree with me…**

**Right?**

**RIGHT?!**

Instead he was once again on all knees puking before mercifully passing out…

**You don't belong here.**

**Goodbye, **_**Shinji**__**Ikari**_**. You **_**won't**_** be missed.**

"SHINJI!"

**Mi…sa…to?**

…briefly feeling Misato's arms wrap around his chest and pulling him up, his weight causing her to fall backwards onto the ground, his head resting in her lap. Misato was on the verge of tears, breathing harshly as stared at her hands; her blood mixed with Shinji's and Mal'Kafir's.

She had just caught up to Shinji appearing to have some kind of psychotic episode, then ran catch him as he was about to fall face first into his own vomit. And now here they were, covered in blood, sweat and puke. Misato wiped Shinji's mouth with her bare hand, before hugging him tightly to herself as she moved herself onto her knees and begun to sob.

"Shinji. Why'd…you do that?"

And unaware that Mother dearest, the now decloaked Elder and much of the clan was silently watching from all around the two of them.

And she was _still_ tasting blood.

* * *

And that's that. Never thought I would ever get this chapter done.

Sorry if the fight with Mal'Kafir was anti-climactic. Shinji in his present state would never have been able to go against a way superior foe without resorting to some pragmatism…followed by downright skewering of battle etiquette. But then again, the bastard threatened to go after the people Shinji cares about.

And that bit with canon! Shinji briefly reasserting himself, only to get beaten back down by Curved Blade and him trying to smash through the fourth wall to get to you…

**It's the insanity I deal with every day ever since Mother found me, and I had just realised what I've become. It's just GamerJay still trying to make this into a deconstruction of Out Of Character and the whatever-the-hell reasons could **_**really**_** cause them to go that way.**

…

Let's just say I was in and out of my really dark place when I wrote this.

Also I'm concentrating on the Shinji/Misato more now that the story is going forward. However, I'm considering ending _this_ part of the story next chapter.

Yeah…this'll be a two-parter - the sequel tentatively titled "Shin Seiki: Joutei no Yokai Book II :: Hakaisha" and it'll open with the fight with the 6th Angel and Asuka. I'll need some time to relax and plan it out, including word length per chapter.

Anyways, what do you think?


	26. Chapter 25: What Comes Next

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_A/N: Shout out to __KnightLance12, __my new beta…_

_Also, a small correction made to Shinji and Toji's first meeting in Chapter 4. One reviewer pointed out something that makes all of Shinji's character development through the flashbacks redundant. I corrected it. I changed the prologue as well, all just to make the story flow a bit better._

_Anyway, enjoy…_

* * *

Chapter 25 – What Comes Next

* * *

'Uh…not the same damn ceiling _again_…something a little different about it, though. Don't remember seeing any cracks in the ceiling.'

That was Shinji's first thought upon waking up in what he guessed was NERV's Hospital. He could sense his body was again heavily bandaged and wearing a slip from the feel of them. Crossing his eyes he saw that he was wearing an oxygen mask. His eyelids felt heavy and his throat was dry; he immediately knew he was suffering withdrawal from using the adrenaline.

Immediately events of what he presumed were of last night came back to him.

**I killed Mal'Kafir and I went insane doing it.**

**Did I really say 'to fuck with honor'?**

He groaned and turned his head. His eyes brightened when he saw Misato sitting next to his bed, slumped in her seat, sound asleep. He couldn't keep a weak smile off his face, before coughing heavily. The captain then stirred, before her eyes shot open.

"Shinji!"

She turned her head and smiled.

"You're awake."

Shinji removed his oxygen mask and replied, "So are you."

Misato blushed and rolled her eyes, "Well…err…I didn't have anything better to do after finishing all the paperwork that came from you and Rei killing the Angel and saving Tokyo-03…"

She resumed smiling…

"_Again_."

Shinji nodded, then groaned and felt his chest.

"How long…?"

Misato stood up, "_Three_ days."

Shinji froze, then gritted his teeth as he felt a burst of pain throughout his whole body from the strain of suddenly ceasing movement.

"It took _that_ long to flush whatever you injected into yourself out of your system," Misato responded to his look of disbelief. "Drugs are bad, Shinji…"

She frowned.

"Seriously…I don't want you to take that crap ever again."

Shinji sighed, "Fair enough."

**I said 'To fuck with honor'…_was _it the drugs?**

He then asked, "What happened to Mal'Kafir's body?"

Misato shuddered, remembering the brute's hands on her; this wasn't lost on Shinji.

"Your friends scooped whatever was left of him and disappeared before TRIDENT could get their hands on it," the captain replied. "There wasn't anything left of the other one 'cept for smashed flesh and tech."

Shinji felt his breath catch in his throat. He knew it was part of the Yautja standard in making sure other species didn't acquire their technology, still functional or otherwise, by either recovering or destroying the bodies of both their comrades and their rivals but…

"They just _left_?" Shinji asked, worry washing over him as he dipped his head. "Without me?"

Misato could feel the worry radiating off him, "Yeah…they just grabbed the bastard's corpse and left without a word, or growl or _whatever_. Your…mom….and Mana stuck around long enough until the ambulance came."

**Did I do something wrong?**

"Is that a bad thing?" Misato then asked, concerned. "Them leaving you behind?"

Shinji stared back up at her, "I hope not."

Both Shinji and Misato's eyes lit up when they just noticed Kensuke and Hikari standing in the door, the later holding a bouquet of flowers in her hands.

"Hi," Kensuke waved awkwardly at Shinji and Misato, blushing lightly upon seeing the woman turning her gaze upon him.

"Kensuke, Horaki-san?" Shinji was surprised to see then. They had been so quiet stepping into the room.

"We're not…disturbing you, are we?" the class rep asked, appearing apologetic.

"No," Shinji shook his head. "How'd you manage to get _down_ here?"

Hikari cocked an eyebrow, "_Down_ here, Kasumi-san?"

Misato smiled and pointed towards the window, and the sunlight shining in through the blinds.

**Window?**

"We're in Tokyo-03's City Hospital," Misato pointed out. "I didn't think NERV would be the best place for you right now."

Kensuke then sighed loudly and stared up at the ceiling, lamenting, "Wish this _was_ the GeoFront."

Shinji looked at him wryly…

Kensuke _really_ wants to be a pilot?

**He wouldn't last past the synchronisation sequence.**

"We were just with Toji visiting his sister. Then we found out _you're_ here as well," Hikari said, walking over to Shinji's side and drawing his attention away from his momentary introspection, smiling and gripping the bouquet. "So we decided to come see you as well."

Shinji appeared momentarily fazed, then smiled. "I appreciate that."

He thought he heard her giggle lightly when she closed her eyes cutely. She then put the flowers up on top of Shinji's bedside table against the wall.

"Sakura's finally awake and much better," Hikari stated, quite happily before becoming despondent. "She can't move the right side of her body, though."

"Oh?" Misato appeared saddened.

"Yeah, she took a nasty blow to the head," Kensuke added, hands in his pockets and sighing. "When one of the buildings EVA-01 knocked over during…"

He stopped speaking when he noticed Misato and Hikari glaring at him, and Shinji now staring down at his lap, a grimace on his face. Kensuke cringed…

"N-not that it's really your fault, Kasumi-san," Kensuke stammered, fearfully.

Shinji was silent.

"Hey Shin-chan?" Misato said. "You still there?"

Shinji turned his head to face Misato, sullen.

"I want to see _her_."

(SSJNYH)

_THIS WON'T STAND IKARI! THAT PILOT OF YOURS IS GETTING AWAY WITH MURDERING SOLDIERS JUST DOING THEIR DUTY!_

Gendo's frown was the only sign of visible discomfort towards the JSSDF General shouting at him through the phone.

"He was defending himself and two more of our employees from said soldiers _doing their duties_," Gendo replied, bluntly as always. "Furthermore the Self-Defence Forces were in violation of the Special Protection granted by the UN to NERV and its employees. So all the JSSDF lives lost to both Pilot Kasumi and TRIDENT, whose benefactor Weyland-Yutani is currently assisting us with matters pertaining to the xeno problem if I may add, were taken on lawful grounds."

The other line was silent, the General possibly stewing in his own juices.

_You…you know who gave us the orders to terminate Kasumi._

"And I'm in conference with them _right now_. They have decided _not_ to press the issue any further."

Gendo was sitting at his desk surrounded by the monoliths, SEELE-01 hovering directly in front of him.

…_this isn't over, __Commander__._

"For now it is," Gendo replied. "Good day to you, General."

He hung up the phone. Gendo clasped his hands together and leaned forward, facing SEELE-01/Keel Lorenz.

"The issue _is_ resolved, I take it?" Gendo queried.

_If you are waiting for us to admit we were overzealous in terminating Kasumi's life, it will be unto eternity, Ikari,_ Keel stated, sounding obviously displeased. _Kasumi is dangerous, and I'm beginning to wonder if __you__ are dangerous in granting him protection from the authorities for crimes committed against both military and civilians._

"Besides those 'civilians' being attempted rapists, you are concerned about the general population of Tokoy-03?" Gendo deadpanned, monotone.

_Don't get flippant with us, Ikari, _SEELE-04 demanded.

_His rampant killing is proof that you do not have as strong a hold on him as you like to think, _SEELE-07 seethed.

"Councilors, I am merely implementing the Scenario with regards to the numerous changes brought upon by the Third Child's…indoctrination by alien influences," Gendo explained. "You are always reminding me of the importance of the Human Instrumentality Project to mankind, yet your attempts to remove one of my important pieces or to convince me to remove him myself almost proved detrimental to my efforts towards implementing said project."

He then adopted a darker tone of voice.

"So you will cease your fruitless attempts on the lives of those under my authority."

SEELE-01 said, _Remember your place, Ikari!_

"I do," Gendo said. "And that is doing _your_ work _for_ you. And if you want me to finish it, you will not interfere with either NERV or Weyland-Yutani any more than you already have."

Gendo could imagine Keel gritting his teeth.

_And if we do not agree to your arrogant demands? _SEELE-02 asked.

"Then inhuman forces that we are currently keeping _contained_, namely the Third Child and his ilk, will seek you out and…deal with you appropriately," Gendo answered matter-of-factly. "Regardless whether they will know of your existence from either NERV or it's current affiliates, or if they _already_ know of your existence."

_Are you threatening us? _Keel demanded, now angry.

"I'm not the one threatening to unleash them. _Your _actions, past and future, will determine whether they will seek you out themselves. If I'm able to prevent them from doing so, however, is up to _you_."

The Monoliths were silent. Gendo knew they were now consulting. They didn't take long.

_You will remain supreme commander of NERV and will continue to implement the Scenario. And Kasumi will retain his pilot status, __and __his life, _Keel declared. _At least until we have rid this world of __all__ known xeno filth that blackens it._

Gendo nodded, "I do not object."

_To Kasumi's fate __after__? _

"…yes. It will not matter."

_Then this meeting is adjourned. Good day, Ikari._

(SSJNYH)

"I'm fine Toji-niisan, you don't have to stay much longer you know. Dad'll be around soon."

"You kiddin' me, Saku-chan? I ain't goin' nowhere."

Toji smiled down at his bedridden little sister, a brown-haired, brown-eyed girl of six or seven years of age wearing gauze around her forehead and right arm. Sakura smiled wearily up at her adoring older brother, before the appearance of her brother's friends, Kensuke and Hikari appeared at the door. Only now they were joined by a tall, muscled, and bandaged, brown-haired teenage boy on crutches with scars on his cheek that reminded her of certain manga character she secretly liked.

"Kari-neesan, Ken-niisan," Sakura greeted each of him. "Who is that with you?"

Toji briefly appeared outraged that Shinji was here, but closed his eyes and forced it back down, remembering that he no longer had any kind of beef with him (apart from Shinji deciding not to square things between them yet, leaving Toji not knowing when Shinji was going to pay him back for decking him back at the school yard.)

"Hey Kasumi," Toji said. "Heard you got laid out _again_. Was gonna come see ya but…"

"I'd still be _fine_ if you didn't," Shinji said. "I…"

He paused, closing his eyes and exhaling out his nose in a sigh.

"…I just wanted to…see your sister."

Sakura turned to Toji, confused. Toji sighed and bobbed his head down, depressingly.

"He's the pilot of that big purple robot."

The little girl's eyes widened…

"Really?"

…and looked at Shinji. The pilot of EVA-01 rolled his eyes downward, expecting some kind of heartbreaking display of fear towards him, the one indirectly responsible for putting her here. Instead however Sakura smiled widely, catching Toji off guard.

"Really?!" she repeated, now ecstatic. "Cool!"

"Huh?" Toji appeared flabbergasted.

Shinji looked up back at Sakura, and couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"You pilot the big robot that fights the monsters coming here?" Sakura asked.

Shinji nodded and hobbled into the room towards Sakura's bedside, "I'm _one_ of the pilots."

Toji stepped back some to allow Shinji to kneel beside the bed.

"And…" Shinji replied. "I…might have put you in here."

Sakura's smile faded. Hikari's eyes widened, Kensuke cringed and Toji glared straight at Shinji, incensed by his brutal honesty.

"I didn't mean to, though," Shinji added.

He then looked over at Toji, mouth in a thin, stern line.

"Right? _I'm_ not the reason she was caught in the crossfire, am I?"

Toji's eyes widened, shocked what Shinji was implying.

"N-no, you're not," Toji replied, shaken. He turned back to Sakura, "I should have gotten you to the shelter faster…"

Sakura interjected, "Don't blame yourself, big brother. Wasn't that daddy's job?"

"Y-yeah," Toji smiled mirthlessly. "But I should've done it."

"And Kasumi-kun went to beat the big monster anyways!" Sakura interjected, smiling. "So everything went ok."

Shinji was slightly off-put the little girl's bubbly response to Shinji and Toji's somewhat shared reason for her being here in the first place.

"So you're not afraid of me?"

"No way," Sakura grinned. "You pilot that big robot and you fight monsters so you're the good guy, aren't you?"

Shinji raised his eyebrow, and looked up beside himself at Toji. Hikari and Kensuke smiled approvingly. The jock also hesitantly nodded.

He smiled over at Sakura, "Yeah, that's _me_."

Misato had been waiting outside the room, being that it was already crowded. She had frowned disapprovingly when Shinji casted blame on Sakura's injuries on her own brother, but it had faded when Sakura appeared to hold no ill will towards either of them. Shinji hobbled out on his crutches, Misato leaning off the wall.

Misato appeared coy, "You sounded like you were settling something with Suzuhara, weren't you?"

"…yes," Shinji's brutal honesty was there.

On their way back to his room…

"OI…KASUMI!"

He spun around to face a livid Toji stomping up towards them. Shinji let him get up in his face.

"What the hell was _that_?!" Toji angrily demanded. "Makin' _me_ half admit I hurt my lil' sister?"

Shinji narrowed his eyes, "'Squaring things between us."

Toji gasped, "Wh-what?"

The jock was forced to step back as Shinji leered in towards him, rubbing his cheek as if nursing a bruise long faded, "I don't like being blamed for something I had no control over…"

He then paused.

"…besides, _where_ were you when she was hurt anyway?"

"I…I…" Toji was at a loss for words, feeling tears well up in the corners of his eyes. "I…I didn't…"

He closed his eyes and sobbed.

"Why?"

"Because if we squared things how you intended, you'd _die_," Shinji replied, reiterating what he had said to him when Toji had dared him to fight back.

"Come again?" Misato sounded fearful.

"This is _less_ painful," Shinji stated. "Redirecting the blame you cast on me back to you, and making you try harder next time."

"T-try harder?" Toji opened his eyes.

"Protect her," Shinji replied. "_Both_ of them."

'Both?' Toji thought, confused.

Shinji closed his eyes, and sighed; obviously not enjoying making Toji reflect on his actions that day in the schoolyard, and the consequence of challenging a Predator.

"We're even now," Shinji said. "Don't ever challenge a Predator again."

Toji however, thought he had just held a grudge against him and his words hurt him more than whatever blows he would have inflicted on him. Nonetheless Toji nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"I will," Toji responded. "Protect my sister, I mean."

Shinji nodded, not looking even slightly perturbed. He then turned around and continued hobbling back to his room, leaving Misato and Toji standing there; the older woman appearing awestruck. She rubbed the back of her head.

"Of all the…" she muttered.

Toji shook his head, muttering to himself as he turned back to Sakura's room.

(SSJNYH)

Peter Weyland was sitting in his office within the company HQ at Tokyo-02. He was sitting there with his arms closed, appearing pensive; in deep thought over something that had just come to his attention and he was figuring out how to deal with it.

His buzzer rang.

_Mr. Weyland? Ms. Yutani is on the line._

He was silent, just staring at the blank screen of his computer monitor.

_Sir?_

He moved his bloodstained left hand up to the receiver and pushed CONNECT, still silent.

…_Peter?_

"Speaking," he finally responded.

_I just wanted to express my condolences on part of not being able to ascertain the xeno technology last night, _Yutani said, businesslike. _They had all been gathered in the same area after Kasumi had finished off the largest one…_

"And disappeared before any of our teams could get there, Schaefer kept me posted," Weyland replied, matter-of-factly. "Now, Ms. Yutani…or rather…"

He frowned, and his voice raised a bit.

"Lord Gamaru!"

He glanced over at the men in protective clean suits crowding around the table situated in the other side of the room being supervised by Garber. On the glass table was a blood-stained, decorative box that had held Ms. Yutani's severed, black-haired head. One of the medical personnel lifted the head by way of massive prongs on each side of it's head and disposing it in a sealed case marked HAZARDOUS. Standing next to his table was Schafer, staring grimly at Weyland's present, before turning his attention towards the man himself.

_Oh…you've received my warning earlier than expected, then._

"How long have you been masquerading as Ms. Yutani, God rest her soul?"

The other line was silent, and Yutani's formerly feminine voice was now replaced by a smooth, sinister tone belonging to a young adult male.

_Long enough. I'm getting impatient, Weyland-_san, the other line said._ And we'll be sending __another __package very soon, and you'll make sure NERV acquires it before they do anything with the S2 Organ they tore out of the Fourth._

Weyland blinked and simply replied, "Unit-04?"

_All__ Evangelions are property belonging to the Zaibatsu merely just waiting for repossession. We have interests towards the Mother World, and SEELE and their Scenario will not disrupt those interests. You are still interested in what we can offer humanity on Earth, right?_

"Very," Weyland replied. "I'm not interested, however, in receiving any more _warnings_ from you."

_Oh, we're not the ones who will kill you if you fail to impede Instrumentality long enough for Kasumi to rip…__Rokubungi's__…heart out…_

The voice known as Gamaru spoke that name with much venom. The name, being Gendo Ikari's _former_ surname.

…_3__rd __Impact will do it for us._

"Like you didn't already tip us off about that and the existence of SEELE," Weyland replied, now feigning boredom; perhaps in an attempt to let the other line know that he wouldn't be intimidated. "Both our companies have interests in Earth surviving past this year and rest assured, it will."

_Good. I'm looking forward to seeing if NERV receives our package._

_BZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz CLICK!_

The line became silent, as did Weyland. He put the receiver down, then turned to the Hazmat crew.

"Check Ms. Yutani's apartment and office for her body," he ordered. "We'll make sure she receives a proper burial."

Garber nodded, tight-lipped as if wanting to say something but would prefer not to. Suddenly Schaefer's left pocket begun to ring.

"Uh…'cuse me."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He stared at the miniature screen, and raised his eyebrows at whom was calling him.

ASUKA!

Followed by a still image of a red-haired, blue eyed girl wearing a German Air Force uniform and smiling at the camera while flashing the victory sign. He answered it.

_Hallo pate._

Schaefer raised his eyes brows, immediately recognizing the tone of voice that greeted him, only sounding older than the last time met.

"_Asuka_? Ist das sie?" he responded in the same language.

He then smiled warmly

"Lange zweit, eh?" he glanced over at Garber, smile fading and shot him a very sternly glare.

Garber's eyes widened when he realised why Schaefer was glaring at him. He then scowled, then cast his eyes down, sadly.

(SSJNYH)

In the morgue chamber of the Huntship, Gaun, Merl'we and the Elder stood next to the slab where the broken, smashed, mutilated and dismembered body of Mal' Kafir laid. Whilst both the Elder and Gaun had their masks on, Merl'we had removed hers before she had entered the chamber; for the sole purpose of spitting on the corpse, on the same spot where Shinji had paid his last _respects_ to their mutual hated foe – the Beast itself.

Wordlessly she then spun on her heels and walked out, leaving the two other Yautja alone.

"Curved Blade had already avenged her," the Elder remarked. "He utterly destroyed this c'jit of a Bad Blood! There was no need for her spit to mix with his."

Gaun rolled her eyes over at him and briefly frowned…

**_You _were not one of almost a dozen females he and many other male tarei'hsan hac'nikts raped that night, for the purpose of a new generation of 'Super' Predators!**

She then appeared bitter.

**They must have believed the females of our clan would _not _willingly endanger the scum that would eventually grow in most of their wombs. They were _wrong_!**

**And uncle _dearest _did not know he was sterile. Small mercies, I suppose.**

"I know what _you're_ thinking, Gaun," the Elder stated. "I can only imagine what our females went through. Curved Blade, however, has restored Merl'we's honor."

"And speaking of Curved Blade?" Gaun said. "And what the definition of honor means to us."

"What about him?"

"What it took for him to finally kill 'The Beast'?" Gaun reminded him bitterly, calling her own pup out tasted like poison, but better she than Razor Sword or any other Predator that objected to Curved Blade's existence. "I prefer to know what fate awaits him before anyone else."

The Elder stared at her silently, before he deadpanned, "If I put down, expelled or strip the status of every Predator that resorted to desperation on a few occasions - Nam, Razor Sword and Gaun-Thwei would not have any semblance of presence within the clan a _long_ time ago."

Gaun frowned at the mention of her late sire. The Elder then snorted…

"Besides, how Curved Blade…"

He paused as he stared over the corpse of Mal'Kafir, the barely restrained grunts of rage that could be heard underneath his mask. Gaun sensed he was just restraining himself from defiling the cadaver himself for what its now late owner had done to him and his clan.

"…disposed of this filth could barely count as dishonor anyway."

Gaun cracked her knuckles, "Good. I'm glad."

**VERY glad.**

"Now," the Elder said. "Before we rid ourselves of this half of the Twins forever…"

Gaun nodded and grabbed the severed right arm, immediately opening the wrist-comp display and activating the Twins' still hidden Huntship's self-destruct sequence. Bypassing the timer she immediately pressed DETONATE…

(SSJNYH)

…and in the waters leading to the edges of Tokyo-03 the resulting Super Predator Huntship explosion send gallons of water into the air, immediately reported by the authorities and could be heard throughout the city, particularly the Hospital.

"What the hell was that?!" Misato cried, head jolted upward in reaction.

"The Clan taking care of business," Shinji answered, emotionless.

Misato gave a tired glance over at Shinji, his sudden detachment from reality starting with emotionally busting Toji down beginning to bother her.

**Yeah, I just noticed he becomes more and more of a jerkass when he's _not _fighting.**

"Shinji? Let me know once you lose the damn crutches, because…"

She looked serious at him.

"There's something I should have showed you a long time ago."

Shinji looked at peculiarly.

"What is it?"

The older woman then smiled rather sincerely.

"You'll see."

(SSJNYH)

Merl'we was leaning against the wall outside the Huntship's morgue, hand covering her face and tears dribbling down her cheeks.

**Curved Blade…**

She smiled, imagining Shinji cutting Mal'Kafir with that huge sword of his.

**…if only you were born Yautja…**

"Merl'we?"

The Huntress lowered her hand and turned her head sideways to see Nam standing before her, an uncharacteristic look of concern on his face.

"Did you do _it_?"

Merl'we nodded, "Right between the eyes."

Nam growled, "Good."

He leaned against the wall next to her, arms crossed, eyes tracing the floor.

"I should've torn that hack'nit apart instead of letting Curved Blade risk his honor sinking to that Beast's level," Nam groused. "I mean I'm almost as big as the fucker…actually…"

He chuckled darkly.

"…_now_ I am bigger than him… what's left of him, anyway."

Merl'we smirked, "Had to throw that in, didn't you?"

"That's one of the things you _liked_ about me," Nam stated, still smiling and glancing Merl'we's way.

The Huntress' eyes widened, before she narrowed them and appeared…regretful.

"I…I shouldn't have said _that_."

"Said what?"

Merl'we was hesitant as she continued, "Years ago when I said it was a…_mistake_ coupling with you. I…"

She sniffed, moving her hand to wipe away more tears that were threatening to spill.

"...I was _so_ angry with nyaka-de I…I took _it_ out on you."

Nam appeared sullen, "You _knew_ she didn't want any other female calling her 'mother'. There was only _Straight _Blade and no one could ever replace her?"

"I…I was so young, my bearer and my sire gone. Gaun took me in, trained me, treated me like a hunter instead of a future bearer. I wanted her to call me 'daughter'," Merl'we sobbed. "I _hated_ that ooman that filled that spot instead.

She dropped her hands to the side and clenched them, dreadlocks covering her face as she cried.

"I was so _happy…_when Gaun dumped Straight Blade outside that ooman medical place when Gal'Vakir crashed the expedition. I thought I'd be able to fill the void that'd surely appear in her heart," Merl'we continued. "Instead…Gaun…she wouldn't _even_ look at me, as if _I_ reminded her of Straight Blade. I brushed if off, thinking it'd take her a while to get over that 'fragile' ooman. Then…"

She calmed down a bit as she spoke on.

"...I matured, earned the mark, met you, and made the mistake of telling Gaun I loved her like a mother," Merl'we lamented. "She…"

She shivered.

"…she looked at me as if it were the wrong thing to say. Then…she struck me across the face…"

Nam's eyes lit up disbelief.

"…and she yelled at me. Told me I had _no_ right to take Straight Blade's place because she was _still_ alive, that I could claim a _million_ skulls, _bed_ the strongest warrior there is and _continue_ the purest bloodline to ever exist and still I wouldn't measure up to whatever accomplishments Straight Blade would've achieved!"

She paused.

"We argued. She hit me again, and I realised hating Yui had been a waste. I…I cried, right in front of Gaun I cried and I…for some reason I just told _her_ that I had wished for Straight Blade to disappear and I was sorry for thinking it…."

She sighed.

"…she looked ready to kill me. And she probably would have, if she hadn't told me instead to dump you and concentrate on being the best female Hunter there is."

Nam was silent and just stared at her intently, "…."

"Nothing to say?"

"…no," Nam muttered.

Merl'we chuckled, "Heh…did you listen to me, we were talking about Curved Blade and what we would have liked to do to Mal'Kafir and I just spilled my guts on…you know…"

"Listen…"

Merl'we felt like her heart flutter in her chest when Nam stretched his arm and squeezed her shoulder affectionately.

"Do you think we can just…_start again_?"

(SSJNYH)

A couple of days later Shinji and Misato were driving along one of the roads leading towards the outskirts of Tokyo-03, towards the observation point overlooking Tokyo-03. Shinji pursed his lips as the car stopped and they stepped out.

"What's up, Shinji?"

"I came here once to think, when I was gone for that whole day," Shinji said, walking over towards the railing. Resting his elbows on it, Shinji asked, "Remember?"

"Yeah," Misato followed him, and then patted him hard on the right shoulder. "You left me all alone."

"Hmm…sei-I," Shinji replied, partly in the alien dialect.

Misato nudged him playfully, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you had a lot of things to _think_ about. Such as…"

She was silent, smiling playfully.

"…our _engagement_."

Shinji blushed and was about to respond to that when Misato checked her watch…

"Oh, it's time now."

Shinji tilted his head curiously, "Time for _what_?"

"Eyes forward."

Shinji did so and turned his gaze back to Tokyo-03, and to his amazement he saw several buildings beginning to rise out of the Geo-front, forming the fortress city that Shinji had grown to accept as his hunting ground for oomans, Kainde Amedha, the Bad Bloods and the Paya Amedha. Misato enjoyed the look on his face, and became weary when suddenly his smile faded and he appeared pensive.

"Listen…Misa-_chan_…" Shinji said, sounding awkward. "About what happened when I received the Mark of the Hunter? What you just called the 'engagement' ."

"Mmm?" Misato turned to him, smiling.

"I-I realise that it was spur of the moment and the only way to protect you. And I know what people would say about you if were to ever…_you know_, go along with it; so I'll do everything I can to free you from the Elder's promise to make you my mate," Shinji said. "I don't want you to be scorned hanging around…"

He chuckled darkly.

"…an adult only by _Yautja_ standards."

Misato shook her head, and sighed amusingly and turned to him, seeing him look back over the city, "Shinji…what if I told you that out of every man, some of whom I've had the _displeasure_ of meeting, you're quite possibly the only decent guy out there?"

She then took his hand and squeezed it affectionately. Shinji smiled.

"And that I doubt there's no better match than two people who need one another so they can't destroy themselves?" Misato almost sounded sad. "That's…so long as you don't mind me being a borderline alcoholic slob who is slowly turning our apartment into a pig sty who only can only ever organize herself in a war room; but can be a _really_ fun person to hang around?"

Still smiling, Shinji replied, "And you can deal with a Blooded Hunter whose family is a clan of other vicious Blooded Hunters and still wants to kill his sire? But will protect those who care for him with his life?"

He then felt Misato hands gently turn his head to face her, his mate-to-be.

"I think I can manage."

Shinji then felt Misato's lips crush his in a soft kiss. His eyes widened for a brief second before he felt compelled to close them and enjoy it. Seeing this, Misato closed her eyes and deepened it. Shinji's eyes flew open as Misato broke it and stepped back, still smiling down at him. She giggled slightly, seeing that he was somewhat in a daze.

"Wha…that…that was…?" Shinji stammered, blushing madly when he realised he had felt Misato's tongue on his.

"That was an adult kiss, Shinji," Misato told him, cheeks also burning.

"Y-yeah?" Shinji smiled, still somewhat dazed.

She then extended her hand and he accepted it. They then walked towards the car.

"Hey Shinji…"

"_Yeah_?"

"I was gonna suggest we do the rest when we get home, but I don't want you _opening_ up your stitches," she purred teasingly, then her voice went up an octave as she slowly became excited. "But how about instead, you and me, we hit the town and see how much hell our NERV creds can let us raise?"

Shinji shook himself at his daze and couldn't help but smile, Misato having just asked him out on date in her own unusual, playful manner. This delighted her.

"Ok."

(SSJNYH)

However when they arrived home, someone was leaning against the wall next to their apartment door waiting for them.

Misato raised her eyebrows, "Can we help you?"

He was around the same age as Shinji, with short light chestnut colored hair arranged and mocha colored eyes and was a least a foot shorter than Shinji. He was dressed in a heavy-looking military issue jacket and pants; Misato recognized him as someone who attended the military school base in Tokyo-03.

The boy pushed off the wall, perturbed at the sight of them, particularly Shinji.

"_Hello_ Shinji," the boy sounded harsh. "Long time."

"Do I know you?" Shinji asked.

The boy closed his eyes and scoffed, "Of course, you wouldn't recognize me."

He then opened his eyes and glared straight at the Predator.

"I'm the _one_ that survived."

"_Survived_?" Misato queried, then frowned when she realised that their planned night on the town had been postponed indefinitely by this military brat's arrival. "Try making some sense, kid."

"Fine."

The boy cleared his throat.

"_You_ killed my parents and burnt _our_ house down about nine years ago. Does _that_ make sense?"

Shinji's eyes widened when a flood of memories returned. Specifically over whom this boy was.

"_Did your dad kill your mom? __My __mom said he died in some kind of experiment he did."_

"A-Ando?"

And judging from the way Ando had walked towards him and was standing there, Shinji guessed that he was hiding a switchblade underneath his shirt behind the belt loops of his pants.

Shinji balled his fists tightly, his wrist blade ready to extend once he relaxed…

(SSJNYH)

**Whatever future this damned planet leads us all into… I'll make sure we survive it.**

**And starting with this tetch'na amedha no-one, and nothing, will stop ME!**

_*****BOOK ONE END*****_

* * *

_Tarei'hsan - Animal_

And that's that…for now. Thanks for your support and I hope to see you around when Book 2 is released…in the foreseeable future.

Oh, and in case you can't be bothered in decipheringi it yourself, the conversation between Asuka and Schaefer went like this.

"_Hello, Godfather."_

"_Asuka, is that you? Long time, eh?"_

Yep, Asuka knows Alan "Dutch" Schaefer, another subplot in Book 2.

Take care of yourselves.  
- GamerJay


	27. Announcement

The sequel** Shin Seiki: Joutei no Yokai Hoshi II: Hakaisha **is now up. Enjoy reading…


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